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High-risk merchant account website requirements: what to fix before you apply

By Daniel Marsh, Payments Editor

For high-risk eCommerce and subscription operators in the US, EU/UK, and Canada preparing a merchant account application, including merchants moving after Stripe, PayPal, Shopify Payments, or Square limited or closed an account.

In high-risk categories, the website is not just a storefront. It is evidence. An underwriter cannot visit your warehouse or listen to your support calls, so they read your site to judge how customers will experience the business and how likely disputes are. A site that is clear and consistent makes the rest of the file easier to approve. A site with placeholder pages or vague terms raises questions that slow everything down.

1. Policy pages that a customer can actually find

• Refund and return policy. State the window, the conditions, and how a customer asks for a refund. "All sales final" with no explanation tends to draw scrutiny in high-risk review.
• Cancellation policy. For subscriptions, memberships, and programs, explain how to cancel and when cancellation takes effect.
• Shipping and delivery terms. Where you ship, typical delivery times, and what happens if an order is lost. For digital products or services, explain how and when they are delivered.
• Terms of service and privacy policy. Written for your business, not copied from another store with someone else's name still in it.

Link these pages in the site footer and near checkout. Underwriters look for them in the same places customers do.

2. Real contact details

Show a working support email and, ideally, a phone number. The business name on the site should match the legal or trading name on your application. A support channel that answers quickly is also one of the best tools you have for keeping customers from filing chargebacks instead of asking for help.

3. A checkout that leaves nothing to surprise

• The full price, taxes, and shipping cost before the customer pays.
• For subscriptions and trials: the amount, billing frequency, when the first charge happens, and how to cancel, shown clearly next to the payment button, not buried in the terms.
• A confirmation email that repeats the order and any recurring terms.
• A note on how the charge will appear on the card statement, so a renewal does not look unfamiliar.

The chargebacks guide explains why these details matter so much once you are live.

4. Product pages and claims

Underwriters read product descriptions closely in categories like supplements, CBD and hemp, research-use peptides, and vape. Remove disease or cure claims, before-and-after promises, and income guarantees you cannot support. Show age restrictions where your category requires them. If you sell research-use products, the site should be consistent with that positioning throughout.

5. A site that matches the application

The most avoidable problem is a mismatch: the application describes one product line and the website sells another, or a category you did not mention appears in the menu. Disclose everything you sell. If you are adding a new line soon, say so rather than letting the underwriter find it. The same goes for prior processing history; a closure notice is easier to explain up front, as covered in merchant account terminated.

Pre-application website checklist

• Refund, cancellation, shipping, terms, and privacy pages live and linked in the footer.
• Support email (and phone, if you have one) visible; business name matches the application.
• Checkout shows full price, recurring terms, first charge date, and how to cancel.
• Order confirmation email repeats the terms.
• No unsupported health, cure, or income claims; age gates where required.
• No placeholder pages, broken links, or "lorem ipsum."
• Every product line on the site is disclosed on the application.

Pair this with the documents checklist and you will have most of a complete file. Typical timing is in how long approval takes.

Quick FAQ

Can I apply before my website is finished? You can, but expect questions. A live site with policies in place usually makes review smoother, so finishing the basics first often saves time overall.

Does RetryHub review my website? RetryHub helps you prepare the file, including spotting gaps before bank submission. The acquiring bank makes the final decision.

Is approval guaranteed? No. The acquiring bank decides after its review, and it sets rates and any reserve.

How do I start? Apply free at retryhub.com/apply. Most applications are reviewed within 24 hours and complex cases within 72 hours, as stated on retryhub.com.

Apply: retryhub.com/apply · Site: retryhub.com · Services: retryhub.com/services · Contact: help@retryhub.com