Stripe, PayPal, and Square decline or terminate the categories we work with as a matter of policy. We place high-risk merchants on specialist processors that actually keep the account open — targeted as low as 3% effective vs the 8% all-in cost typical of high-risk processing once reserves and ancillary fees are baked in. That 5-point cut is worth roughly $15,000/yr at $25K/mo and $60,000/yr at $100K/mo in real fee savings.
Stripe is built on a single underwriter and a single risk appetite. It scales by keeping its book of business homogeneous — same risk profile, same chargeback band, same regulatory exposure. The moment your account doesn't fit, the algorithm flags it and a human revisits the file.
Stripe periodically reviews entire categories — CBD, vape, firearms, kratom, supplements, adult, telemarketing, crypto, gaming — and offboards merchants en masse, often with 24 hours' notice.
Stripe's automated risk system terminates accounts that cross the 1% chargeback threshold for any rolling window, regardless of the underlying dispute reason.
Stripe's acquiring banks dictate which categories it can support. When those banks adjust their appetite, Stripe trims its merchant book to match — and your account is collateral.
When Stripe terminates, it routinely holds processed funds for 90–180 days to cover potential chargebacks. That money is yours but you cannot touch it.
Most merchants are processing on a new specialist MID within 3–10 business days. We'll tell you upfront if your file needs more time.
Send us your last three months of processing statements. We review them, identify your real effective rate, and tell you whether a 3% placement is realistic for your file or whether you should expect to land closer to the 8% all-in cost that's typical of high-risk processing — before you fill out a single form.
Once you decide to move forward, we package your file and submit only to processors that actually underwrite your category. Most approvals land within a week; complex files (cannabis, kratom, MATCH-list) run 2–3 weeks.
New MID provisioned. Your existing gateway integration typically stays in place — we just swap the underlying credentials. A dedicated rep walks you through the change so transactions never break.
For merchants who want belt-and-suspenders: we set up a backup MID on a second processor so a single termination never kills your revenue again. This is how $1M+/month merchants protect themselves.
High-risk merchant processing typically runs around an 8% effective rate when reserve holds and ancillary fees are baked in. Cybin's target placement is as low as 3% effective. The table below shows what that 5-percentage-point gap looks like in real fee dollars at common monthly volumes.
Monthly volume
$25,000
Annual savings
$15,000
Monthly volume
$50,000
Annual savings
$30,000
Monthly volume
$100,000
Annual savings
$60,000
Monthly volume
$250,000
Annual savings
$150,000
Monthly volume
$500,000
Annual savings
$300,000
Savings estimate based on an 8% effective rate typical of high-risk merchant processing, including processor fees, reserve holds, and ancillary charges. Your actual rate depends on industry, processing volume, and risk profile.
Consultation, application review, and processor matching are free. We are compensated by processors when accounts onboard — never by you.
From CBD and firearms to nutraceuticals, kratom, adult, gaming, crypto, telemarketing, debt collection, and dozens more.
We tell you if you're unlikely to land, what would need to change, and what the realistic rate range looks like before you apply anywhere.
Stripe operates on a single underwriter and is allergic to categories that generate elevated chargebacks, regulatory exposure, or banking relationship friction — CBD, vape, firearms, nutraceuticals, adult, gaming, telemarketing, crypto, and several dozen others. They onboard high-risk merchants and later terminate them on routine compliance reviews, often with 24 hours' notice and a 90–180 day fund hold.
Cybin is not a payment processor — we are a placement firm. We work with a network of specialist acquiring banks and processors that actually underwrite high-risk categories. Instead of one underwriter that says no, you get matched with the underwriter that says yes for your exact category, volume, and history.
High-risk merchant processing typically runs around an 8% effective rate when reserve holds, monthly fees, chargeback fees, and ancillary charges are included. Cybin targets placements as low as 3% effective — a 5-percentage-point gap that runs roughly $1,250/mo at $25,000 monthly volume ($15,000/yr), $5,000/mo at $100,000 monthly volume ($60,000/yr), and $25,000/mo at $500,000 monthly volume ($300,000/yr). Actual placements depend on industry, volume, history, and chargeback profile — Cybin only quotes after reviewing statements.
Standard high-risk approvals run 3–10 business days from a complete application. Categories requiring enhanced underwriting (cannabis, kratom, certain crypto verticals, MATCH-listed merchants) can take 2–3 weeks. The cutover itself is usually a few hours once the new MID is provisioned — your existing gateway integration typically stays in place.
Nothing to the merchant. Consultation, application review, and processor matching are free. Cybin is compensated by the payment processors in our network when a merchant successfully onboards — never by the merchant.
Send us your last three months of processing statements. We'll come back within 24 hours with a realistic rate range and a plan.
