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The 10 Best Escort Merchant Account

Although the adult industry is growing steadily in the UK, offering very lucrative opportunities for business owners in the industry, securing escort merchant processing services has proved difficult. The reason is that escort services business are considered high risk.

This is largely due to high chargeback rates, recurring payment plans, high tickets, strict laws, and even potential fraud. What doesn’t help is that there is a stigma attached to businesses whose purpose serves to promote sexual encounters.

Chargebacks occur because this type of service is strictly confidential. The customer is likely to be hiding this activity from family and friends. There are cases where customers make these transactions via stolen cards. This eventually leads to money laundering. Sometimes even merchants use their website as a cover for money laundering or even to promote illegal prostitution.

Despite all of the aforementioned risks and illegal activities tied to this industry, there are businesses that do perform their services within the legal parameters. With this in mind, there are reputable merchant providers who are willing to work with those in the escort services industry. Here are the top 10 merchant providers who offer their services.

0 1

PayWorld

Headquartered in Sussex, UK, PayWorld aims to facilitate reduced rates and secure processing solutions. PayWorld is a subsidiary of Frontline, a company that has been developing IT solutions since 1989.

The Pros

Specializing in high risk businesses in the escort services industry, PayWorld’s features include: acceptance of all credit and debit cards, real time credit card transaction processing with fraud scrubbing, address verification check (AVS) directly from the merchant’s website, 128-bit SSL Encryption (HTTPS) for increased security, quick and easy setup ( 48 hours), PCI Level 1 Certified Gateway Services, customer service and website integration support, online transaction monitoring, and detailed transaction statements. The company also offers offshore merchant accounts and there is no upper limit in the amount to process. No long term contracts or cancellation fees.

The Cons

It was difficult to locate any bad reviews. The only con was that they do require a merchant setup fee based on the business type and the work involved.

0 2

Durango Merchant Services

Founded in 2004 and located in Durango, Colorado, Durango Merchant Services works with many gateway processors and suppliers with sponsor banking relationships that offer credit processing solutions for both the US-based and internationally based companies.

The Pros

Features in the contract include: variable contract lengths (month-to-month), free application processing, direct financing with regular deposits (daily or weekly, depending on whether onshore vs offshore), recurring billing, competitive rates, acceptance of multiple currencies and deposits, compatibility with major gateways and shopping carts, integration assistance with more than 100 shopping carts, chargeback prevention tools and advice, eCheck processing, gateway includes fraud detection and prevention tools.

The Cons

The only complaints received about this company were about Durango’s inability to get approval for a high risk merchant account and about a partnering bank withholding a merchant’s funds.

0 3

Motile

Headquartered in Middleberg, Virginia, Motile is a fast-growing company that provides custom made processing solutions for all industry types and merchants on the risk spectrum, including escort services. It currently serves clients in the US, Europe, Canada, and Asia

The Pros

The company offers solutions for 95.7% of high risk merchants. Some of Motile’s solutions for merchants include: POS systems, high risk services, check cashing, ACH payments, credit card solutions, and mobile processing.

In addition, they have a free application fee, a 24-hour account approval, and free setup.

They also offer blockchain solutions, e-checks, remote deposit services, and quasi-cash handling.

The Cons

For the application process, they don’t give any indication or range of time to complete the application process and open a merchant account. Once you are set up, there are integration and setup fees.

0 4

We Tranxact

Focusing on transparency in their rates and contracts, founder Rav Bains learned the reigns of providing exceptional customer service as a kid in his parents’ Birmingham fish and chip shop.

Founded in 2016, Birmingham,UK-based Web Tranxact is well-versed with the challenges in the Escort Services business and aims to offer customized solutions

The Pros

Merchants can benefit from no PCI DSS fees, no authorisation fees, no minimum monthly services, no monthly contracts, Next Day settlement of funds, no rolling reserves, online reporting and analysis tools, and rates as low as 1.5% (dependent on application). Approvals are as soon as 2 hours.

The Cons

Some of the complaints found against We Tranxact were relating to not being completely transparent about their fees. However, further clarification was given that the merchant bank they work with does increase their fees and this information is communicated to all merchants. All the same, it seems to be something out of We Tranxact’s control which can directly impact the merchant’s bottom line.

0 5

eMerchantBroker

Based in Los Angeles, California, eMerchantBroker offers high risk processing solutions, including escort services merchant accounts.

The Pros

EMB offers custom-made paid solutions, excellent customer service, approval rates between 24 and 48 hours, chargeback management tools, PCI-compliant payment gateways, as well as fraud filters.

The Cons

Very little information about the standard contract. This could only mean that the contract terms vary widely from merchant to merchant. There are early termination fees that are up to $295 for 1 year contracts and up to $595 for 3 year contracts.

0 6

ccNetPay.com

Maintaining offices in London and Slovenia, ccNetPay’s primary portfolio consists of mostly European merchants. It specializes in escort merchant services.
Some of the supported features within the Escort Merchant Account include: Server2Server API integration, Batch Processing, CVV, AVS, and 3D Secure, Real time reporting and management, Global Card Processing, Recurring Billing, Virtual Terminal, and over 150 supported currencies.

The Pros

There are no service and sign-up fees, no transaction limits, no safety deposits, plus clients get a dedicated support staff for the life of the account.

The Cons

Although it was difficult to find any negative reviews, something to keep in mind is that there is a high risk registration fee charged by its acquiring banks.

0 7

Radiant Pay

London-based Radiant Pay is an agency offering payment solutions to merchants across all “legal” industries, including escort service merchants. It is a leading payment solution provider in the UK, European, and Asian countries.

The Pros

Some of the advantages offered include quick approvals, partnership with banks around the world, round the clock support, affordable pricing plans, quick payouts, minimal transaction charges, no deductions from revenues, uncapped transaction volumes, multi-currency processing, low taxes, risk management solutions, and personalised consultations.

The Cons

Some complaints about the company have to do with sales agents imposing highly undesirable contract terms. It is best to read the fine print thoroughly before signing anything with this company.

0 8

Total Processing

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Manchester, UK, Total Processing offers customised payment solutions for businesses. They specialise in high risk merchant accounts for escort services merchants.

The Pros

Their expertise lies in the following: high availability account servicing, high availability and redundancy, scalability and change speed reactivity, independent from an acquiring bank, dedicated expert support, robust and simple integrations, cost effective solutions, PCI level 1 compliant, and business critical cash flow delivery timescales.

Additional benefits for their merchants include: a secure payment gateway, hotlists, flexible card verification, security tools, enhanced reporting functions, fixed bonds, rolling reserves, deferred payments, online risk analysis, and recurring payments. Accepting all traditional and alternative payments, including ApplePay ( a total of 198 payment methods).

They also provide great customer service and chargeback prevention.

The Cons

Although there is a phone number, search bar and chat feature for questions, the live chat feature is only available during office hours, which doesn’t help if there are emergencies after office hours. Having 24/7 support is key to putting out any potential fires.

0 9

iPay Total

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in London, iPay Total is an escort service payment processor that also offers end-to-end high risk merchant solutions to customers around the world.

The Pros

Some features offered on escort merchant accounts include: multi-bank processing (including offshore), secure payment gateway, chargeback alerts, chargeback disputes, ACH/Check 21 processing, fraud prevention and protection, and competitive processing rates (below 6%), as well as 24/7 support online or by phone.

The Cons

High risk merchant account contract terms are not disclosed to the public. iPay Total also claims to charge a set up fee of up to £4,500, an incredibly exorbitant and prohibitive amount, especially for small businesses starting out.

10

Instabill

Based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and with an EU registered address in Lija, Malta, Instabill has been covering the high-risk merchant space since 2001. With constant change within the high risk merchant space, it has remained current with shifts and regulations within the industry.

The Pros

Although fees are notoriously high for adult merchant accounts, Instabill offers accounts with one of their offshore acquiring banks, providing affordable rates.
With chargebacks being the bane of their existence, adult merchants are provided solutions through the website, Instabill.org, which is exclusively dedicated to chargeback prevention, mitigation, and even its reversal.

The Cons

Due to Instabill’s focus on high risk accounts, it may feature tiered pricing, early termination fees, and PCI Compliance fees. Most complaints against Instabill are about the company’s fraud prevention policies. Merchants report cancellation of their merchant accounts or withholding funds.

Provider of the Month

Finding the right escort merchant account can be tricky. It is important to do your research and look closely at the contract’s terms and conditions. Also critical is providing documentation that clearly shows that you are operating a legal business. An expert merchant provider specializing in escort merchant services can definitely steer you in the right direction.