Preparing for a high-risk merchant account review starts with explaining how your business sells, fulfills orders, and supports customers. A clear application helps a payment partner assess the business and tell you what additional information is needed.
This checklist is for an initial conversation with Clear Choice Payments. It is not a universal list of approval requirements: each acquiring bank and processor sets its own underwriting criteria.
1. Start with your business and contact details
Have your business name, website, main contact, email, and phone number ready. Describe your actual products or services, where you sell, and whether customers pay online, in person, by phone, or through recurring billing. Keep those descriptions consistent with what customers see on your website.
2. Explain your payment activity
- Approximate monthly card volume and average sale amount.
- Current processor, if you have one.
- Whether you are launching, changing providers, or responding to an account closure.
- How long after payment customers receive their order or service.
If you are new to processing, identify forecasts as estimates. If a prior processor declined or closed the account, explain the circumstances accurately.
3. Gather processing and chargeback information
A recent merchant-processing statement can give a reviewer context about sales, fees, refunds, and disputes. For the initial Clear Choice high-risk inquiry, attaching a statement is optional. You can submit your contact details without one.
If chargebacks have been an issue, describe the causes you have identified and the changes you have made, such as clearer billing descriptions, easier cancellation, or better fulfillment records. A new provider does not remove the underlying reasons customers dispute payments.
For help understanding the document, read our merchant processing statement guide.
4. Make your website easy to review
Check that your product descriptions, prices, business contact details, shipping or fulfillment information, refund policy, and subscription cancellation terms are clear and accurate. The partner may ask for additional ownership, financial, or business documentation during formal underwriting.
Peptide merchants: use the dedicated partner-review form
Peptide merchants should use our peptide processing review form. You can attach an optional processing statement with your contact information for the high-risk partner’s underwriting review. We do not run peptide statements through the standard savings analyzer or use standard merchant pricing to prepare a savings quote.
5. Review the complete proposal
Before choosing a provider, ask about processing and gateway fees, reserves, funding schedules, volume limits, equipment, and cancellation terms. Approval and final terms depend on underwriting; submitting a request does not guarantee an account.
Ready to discuss your business?
Request a high-risk merchant account review with your contact details, business information, and an optional recent processing statement. You can also learn more about our high-risk payment processing options.
General background: Stripe’s overview of high-risk merchant underwriting. Its policies are not a statement of any Clear Choice partner’s requirements.