Five high-risk processors, compared head to head. Tap any logo to visit the provider.
Price is the fastest way to shortlist a high-risk processor and the slowest way to understand one. Every provider below will quote you a headline rate. Almost none of them lead with the annual scheme fees, rolling reserves, recurring surcharges, and exit terms that decide what you actually pay across a year.
This comparison lays all of it side by side. Start with the calculator to see where you land at your own volume, read the full fee grid, then use the profiles to weigh the trade-offs that never show up in a rate quote. Rate is only half the question. The other half is whether an acquirer approves you at all, which we cover in what high-risk underwriters actually check before they approve you.
What You'll Actually Pay
Drag to your monthly card volume. Figures are estimated monthly card-processing cost at each provider’s published rate, before annual scheme fees and situational surcharges.
“Custom quote” means the provider does not publish rates: you will not know your number until you apply. Verify every figure directly with the provider before signing.
Full Pricing Comparison
All rates below are starting figures for adult, dating, and AI merchants. “Starts at” means you could be paying more, particularly with processors that don’t publish their pricing.
| Fee Type | DialXS / CURO | CCBill | Epoch | Segpay | Verotel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing Rate | From 5%, decreases with volume and quality | 10.8-14.5% (adult-specific) | From 15%, volume-tiered | Custom quote, not publicly disclosed | Basic 15.5% / Premium from 13% |
| Annual Fees | €950 Visa / €500 MC registration (not marked up) | $500-$1,000/yr registration | $1,950/yr Visa/MC registration | $1,450/yr ($950 Visa + $500 MC) | €500/yr, waived at €100+/week volume |
| Rolling Reserve | 10% / 6 months | Varies, held 6 months after termination | None | ~5% / 6 months | 10% / 6 months |
| Recurring Surcharge | None | Included in rate | Included in rate | Included in rate | +1.5% on all recurring transactions |
| Chargeback Fee | €25.00 | Not disclosed | Included in flat rate | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Refund Fee | €1.50 | Not disclosed | Included in flat rate | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Onboarding | 5-7 business days (docs in order) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 24-72 hours post-KYC | Not disclosed |
| Payout Frequency | Weekly, adjustable to needs | ~9 days on a fixed schedule | Not disclosed | Weekly | Weekly: USD, EUR, or GBP |
| Support | Dedicated named account manager | 24/7 team | Merchant support team | Helpdesk | Email and phone |
| Tech Stack | Fully in-house, owned end-to-end | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
Rates reflect publicly available data and information provided directly by CURO Payments / DialXS as of June 2026. All figures are starting rates; your actual number depends on business type, volume, and chargeback history.
Processor by Processor
Price is the starting point, not the whole story. Here is what each processor brings to the table, and where they fall short.
CURO Payments operates through its DialXS brand and holds a Dutch National Bank (DNB) licence, giving it EU passporting rights. It is the only processor in this comparison to publish a sub-10% starting rate for adult and dating merchants.
- –Lowest published starting rate at 5%, drops further with volume and a strong chargeback ratio
- –No setup or monthly fees: Visa/Mastercard scheme registration is passed through at cost, not marked up
- –DNB-regulated with EU passporting, a strong compliance position
- –Dedicated named account manager on every account, not a shared support queue
- –Fully in-house tech stack: hardware and software built and owned by CURO/DialXS
- –5-7 business day onboarding when documents are in order
- –Weekly payouts as standard, adjustable to merchant cash-flow needs
- –Smaller brand recognition than legacy processors like CCBill or Epoch
- –US merchants may encounter more friction given the EU-centric acquiring setup
- –10% rolling reserve is standard for new accounts: industry-normal, but plan for it
EU-based adult, dating, and AI merchants who want competitive pricing, a dedicated account manager who knows their business, and a processor that controls its own technology end to end.
EU merchants are invited to begin the pre-boarding process directly with CURO Payments. To qualify you will need:
- –A registered entity in the EU
- –A EUR business bank account in the same entity name
- –Demonstrated full compliance in the industry you operate in
CCBill is the oldest and most recognised processor in adult billing. Twenty-five-plus years and substantial annual volume give it real credibility. The trade-off is cost: its adult rates are among the highest in this comparison.
- –25+ years in adult, the deepest industry track record of any processor here
- –Robust subscription billing, affiliate management, and checkout tools
- –24/7 consumer and merchant support with multilingual billing pages
- –Adult rates of 10.8-14.5% are among the highest in this comparison
- –Annual registration fees of $500-$1,000 add a fixed cost regardless of volume
- –No cryptocurrency payment support
- –Rolling reserve is held for six months after account termination, a migration risk
CCBill’s 10-day termination clause looks flexible, but reserves are frozen for six months after exit. Plan any migration at least six months in advance or expect revenue to be tied up during the transition.
Epoch is a long-established IPSP operating in both the US and EU. Its headline rate is the highest here at 15%, but the no-reserve model and automatic volume tiering make it attractive for merchants who need cash flow to stay liquid.
- –No rolling reserve, unusual and beneficial for cash-flow management
- –All-inclusive flat rate covers billing support, compliance tooling, and fraud prevention
- –Rates decrease automatically as volume grows, no renegotiation required
- –Starting rate of 15% is the highest in this comparison
- –$1,950 annual Visa/MC registration fee on top of processing costs
- –US and EU-incorporated businesses only, no crypto payment support
The $1,950 annual fee disappears from rate comparisons but hits your P&L regardless. For a merchant doing $5,000/month, that is an additional ~3.25% effective rate burden.
Segpay is a US-founded processor with dual licensing across the EU and UK. Its differentiator is speed: approvals in 24 to 72 hours after KYC, which matters when you need to launch faster than you need rate certainty.
- –Fast approvals: typically 24-72 hours after KYC is complete
- –Weekly settlements with short payout delays
- –Dual licensing across the US, UK, and EU through FCA and CBI authorisations
- –Processing rates are not publicly disclosed: you will not know your number until you apply
- –$1,450/year in fixed scheme fees ($950 Visa + $500 MC)
- –Merchant eligibility limited to US, UK, and EU-incorporated businesses
Segpay does not publish its rates. The $1,450 in annual scheme fees is confirmed in their FAQ, but processing rates require a direct application. Get multiple quotes simultaneously and negotiate with data.
Verotel was the first high-risk IPSP to receive EMI status from the Dutch Central Bank. It supports crypto and publishes its pricing transparently, but rates are high and the recurring surcharge quietly eats into subscription revenue.
- –First high-risk IPSP with official EMI status from the Dutch Central Bank
- –Transparent published pricing: Basic and Premium tiers clearly defined
- –Cryptocurrency payment support and weekly payouts in USD, EUR, or GBP
- –Basic rate of 15.5% is among the highest in this comparison
- –+1.5% surcharge on all recurring transactions, taking the effective renewal rate to 17%
- –Documented merchant complaints regarding frozen funds and account closures
- –A chargeback ratio above 1% triggers an automatic 2.5% surcharge
The recurring surcharge is easy to overlook in rate comparisons. A subscription business at the Basic rate pays 17% on its most valuable transactions: repeat revenue. Model this before committing.
7 Things to Watch Before You Sign
The headline rate is the start of the conversation, not the end of it. These are the terms that catch merchants off guard, often after they have already signed.
Annual Scheme Registration Fees
Epoch charges $1,950/year. Segpay charges $1,450. CCBill charges $500-$1,000. DialXS / CURO passes Visa and Mastercard scheme fees (€950 / €500) through at cost rather than marking them up. Always calculate your effective rate including these annual costs, at lower monthly volumes they represent a far larger percentage burden.
The Recurring Surcharge Trap
Verotel adds 1.5% to every recurring transaction. On a 15.5% base that is effectively 17% on your repeat revenue, the most profitable transactions in a subscription business. Model this against your rebill rate before comparing headline rates.
Reserve Lockups on Exit
CCBill holds your rolling reserve for six months after account termination. If you decide to migrate and do not plan six months ahead, you will be operating without access to that capital during the transition.
Chargeback Ratio Surcharges
Verotel automatically adds a 2.5% surcharge if your four-week chargeback ratio exceeds 1%. A single bad fraud month can raise your processing cost until ratios recover, compounding the damage.
Rate Opacity
Segpay does not publish its processing rates. When a processor refuses to quote publicly, apply to multiple providers simultaneously and negotiate with real data. A quote without a benchmark is not a negotiation.
Payout Timing
CCBill’s standard payout cycle runs roughly nine days after the billing period closes. For platforms that pay out to creators or affiliates on their own schedule, settlement timing matters as much as rate.
Merchant Geo Restrictions
Epoch accepts US and EU-incorporated merchants only. Segpay is limited to the US, UK, and EU. If your business is incorporated elsewhere, your processor shortlist is shorter than these comparisons suggest.
Who Wins What
No single processor wins every category. Here is where each one leads.
5% starting, decreasing with volume.
25+ years, the deepest adult billing expertise.
24-72 hour approvals once KYC is complete.
No rolling reserve held against the account.
Both hold Dutch Central Bank authorisations.
Modern rates, named account managers, in-house tech.
Key Terms, Defined
The vocabulary that decides what you pay. If a rep uses one of these without explaining it, this is what they mean.
A percentage of your revenue the processor holds back for a set period, often six months, as protection against chargebacks. It is your money, delayed.
Chargebacks as a share of your transactions. Cross a card-network threshold (VAMP for Visa, SMMP for Mastercard) and surcharges, fines, or termination follow.
An annual fee Visa and Mastercard charge to register a high-risk merchant. A fixed cost, independent of how much you process.
Internet Payment Service Provider. Aggregates many merchants under its own acquiring relationships, which simplifies onboarding for high-risk businesses.
Payment facilitator. A similar aggregation model where the provider is the merchant of record and sponsors sub-merchants beneath it.
Electronic Money Institution. A regulated licence, here, from the Dutch Central Bank, that lets a firm hold funds and issue e-money across the EU.
How We Compared
This analysis covers five processors active in adult, dating, and AI merchant billing as of June 2026. Rate data is sourced from each processor’s published pricing pages, publicly available documentation, and information provided directly by CURO Payments / DialXS. All rates are starting figures: actual rates depend on business type, volume, chargeback history, and acquirer discretion.
CURO Payments / DialXS is a featured partner of The Payments Edge. This relationship does not affect the factual rate data or editorial assessments of competing processors. All figures are independently verified where possible.
