What high-risk payment processing actually costs in September 2026.
The number on the plan is not the all-in cost. Below is the gateway take, the provider take, what $10,000 of volume actually leaves you, and the margin line where this rail stops making sense.
Independent analysis · September 2026 · Single-provider recommendation
We cover high-risk payments broadly, but we recommend one provider. We earn a commission if you sign up through our links, it costs you nothing extra, and we state plainly who should not use it.
01 — Structure
Two fees, not one
Every live sale pays two layers. The gateway fee is the RiskPay plan rate: 12% on Free, 10% or 7% on Scale, 8% or 6% on MAX (monthly versus yearly billing). The provider fee is a separate 1.5% to 4.5% range on the payment method. We use a range because cards, wallets, SEPA and ACH do not price the same.
Paid plans can handle the provider fee three ways:
- 01
Absorb it
You keep the listed checkout price. Your net is volume minus gateway minus provider. Cleanest for conversion; only works if gross margin covers both percentages.
- 02
Split it
You take part of the provider fee; the customer sees a smaller surcharge. Useful when the full provider range on top of 8% would break a mid-margin SKU.
- 03
Pass it to the customer
Checkout shows a processing add-on. Your net is closer to volume minus gateway only. Conversion usually drops. Regional surcharge rules apply — verify before you enable it.
Table 1 — Plan comparison, every listed feature
| Feature | Free | Scale | MAX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | $0/mo | $99/mo or $1,188/yr | $199/mo or $1,899/yr |
| Gateway fee (monthly billing) | 12% | 10% | 8% |
| Gateway fee (yearly billing) | — | 7% | 6% |
| KYC / underwriting docs | None | None | None |
| Rolling reserve | None | None | None |
| Settlement | Instant USDC on Polygon | Instant USDC on Polygon | Instant USDC on Polygon |
| WooCommerce plugin | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| REST API | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hosted payment links | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pass / split / absorb provider fee | No | Yes | Yes |
Footnote — A separate provider fee of roughly 1.5% to 4.5% applies on top and can be absorbed, split, or passed to the customer on paid plans.
Table 2 — Cost per $10,000 processed
Assumption stated: $10,000 settled volume in one month. Figures include the monthly plan fee (yearly plans allocated as one-twelfth of the annual price) and exclude the provider fee.
| Plan / billing | Gateway % | Gateway $ | Allocated sub | Total on $10k |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 12% | $1,200 | $0 | $1,200 |
| Scale monthly | 10% | $1,000 | $99 | $1,099 |
| Scale yearly | 7% | $700 | $99 | $799 |
| MAX monthly | 8% | $800 | $199 | $999 |
| MAX yearly | 6% | $600 | $158 | $758 |
Calculation: Free = $10,000 × 12%. Scale monthly = $10,000 × 10% + $99. Scale yearly = $10,000 × 7% + $1,188/12. MAX monthly = $10,000 × 8% + $199. MAX yearly = $10,000 × 6% + $1,899/12, rounded to $758. Provider fee excluded.
02 — Calculator
Monthly volume against the plans
Drag the slider, then press Calculate to update the table below. The cheapest all-in row (gateway + allocated subscription + 3% midpoint of the provider range) is marked in deep red.
03 — Crossover
Where the plans cross over
Free is cheapest from $0 to about $2,638 monthly volume. MAX annual becomes cheapest at about $2,638 and stays cheapest at every higher volume. Scale is never the cheapest plan on this chart.
Figure 2 — Total monthly cost by processing volume
Gateway fees and subscriptions only. The separate provider fee of roughly 1.5% to 4.5% is excluded because it varies by payment method and can be absorbed, split, or passed to the customer.
Scale is never the cheapest option at any volume shown. Its lower subscription does not offset MAX annual's 6% rate. Scale is worth considering only if you prefer a monthly commitment to an annual one.
04 — Margin
Is 8% ever worth it?
Treat gateway plus mid provider (8% + 3% = 11%) as a tax on revenue, not on profit. What matters is remaining gross margin after that tax.
70% margin digital product. After 11% processing you still have 59% before ads, refunds and tax. Instant USDC and no rolling reserve usually dominate a cheaper MID you cannot get.
15% margin physical reseller. After 11% you have 4% left. One chargeback, one return, or a bad ad week wipes the SKU. This rail is the wrong tool.
Threshold: if gross margin after landed cost is below about 25%, 8% plus the provider range does not leave enough room for ads, refunds, and tax. Stay off this rail until price or cost structure changes.
The percentage is worth it only when speed and approval are the scarce inputs — not when the product barely covers landed cost.
Table 4 — What the percentage is replacing
Hidden costs of traditional high-risk merchant accounts
These are the line items a headline rate usually hides. No dollar amounts are quoted here because they vary by acquirer and were not supplied for this page.
| Line item | Traditional high-risk MID | This rail (RiskPay) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup fees | Application and onboarding charges before the first sale | $0 on the published plans |
| Monthly minimums | Fixed fees even at zero volume | $0 on Free; plan fee only if you subscribe |
| Rolling reserves | A slice of volume held for months | None stated |
| Chargeback fees | Per-dispute fees plus possible MATCH risk | Funds already in your wallet cannot be clawed by a bank; disputes still damage standing |
| Early termination penalties | Exit fees on a term contract | No term contract on Free; paid plans are subscriptions you can drop |
05 — Questions
Pricing questions
Are gateway fees and provider fees the same thing?
No. The gateway fee is the RiskPay plan percentage (6%–12%). A separate provider fee of roughly 1.5%–4.5% applies on the payment method itself. Paid plans can absorb, split, or pass that second fee to the customer.
Which plan is cheapest at $10,000 of volume?
Free is cheapest only up to about $2,638 monthly volume. At $10,000, MAX annual is cheapest: $600 gateway plus $158 allocated subscription = $758. Scale is never the cheapest plan at any volume, because MAX annual's 6% rate outweighs Scale's lower subscription. Those rows exclude the provider fee.
Does 6% include rolling reserves?
No reserve is withheld on this rail. The percentage is the price of approval, speed, and non-custodial USDC payout. Compare cash trapped on a traditional high-risk merchant account, not headline rate alone.
Can I pass fees to the customer?
On paid plans the provider fee can be absorbed, split, or added at checkout. A 70%-margin digital product can absorb 8% plus the provider range. A 15%-margin physical reseller generally cannot. Card-network surcharge rules vary by region.
How does this site get paid?
We recommend one provider. We earn a commission if you register through our links. It does not change your fee. We publish who should not use it: low-margin goods, anyone who still qualifies for ordinary card processing, merchants who need fiat to a bank with no off-ramp, and teams unwilling to hold USDC.
If the margin holds, open the Free plan and test one live sale.
Create your free accountCompare rails in the high-risk payment gateway models guide, and see how merchant account approval works when a dedicated MID is still an option.
Last reviewed September 2026