The adult entertainment industry has long been considered taboo. Although it is patronized by millions across the globe, very few of its consumers really want outsiders to know that they would pay for such services. And that’s really why online adult content providers have boomed in recent years. Allowing consumers to enjoy the same titillating services from the comfort and privacy of their homes, online adult websites make it possible for patrons to get what they want without letting the cat out of the bag. But by offering these services online, adult content providers also need to make sure they can accept and process cardless and cashless payments.
As a high risk business, adult content providers face unique challenges along the way to finding a payment gateway that can satisfy their business needs. And if you just happen to be one of them, here’s a quick look at the 6 best adult content payment gateway providers that might match your standards.
Based in Los Angeles, California, eMerchant Broker is the ultimate choice for adult content and service providers that dabble in various sectors of the adult entertainment industry. EMB has grown in popularity for their increased risk appetite, allowing them to work with some of the riskiest adult sub-markets, including escort services (which typically get rejected by some high risk payment gateway providers. They’re great when it comes to customer support, and they offer a range of other payment processing and merchant services than just payment gateways. And since they do openly work with high risk merchants, approval with eMerchant Broker isn’t really too difficult to achieve.
A word of warning though — their openness to work with such high value merchants also means that their services will cost slightly more than others. Their lowest rates are 2.99% for qualified merchants with high transaction volumes and low chargeback rates. That means most high risk merchants will end up paying much more than just 3%.
Offering two main plans, Authorize.net can provide either an all-in-one solution that includes a merchant account and payment gateway, or a payment gateway only offer. This works for those who might already have a high risk merchant account set up with a different provider. Their Payment Gateway Only package entails zero set-up fees, a $25 monthly gateway charge, $0.10 per transaction, and a $0.10 daily batch fee. This provides clients access to a range of solutions and features that can help accommodate fast, seamless, and easy transactions through a variety of channels whether on or offline.
One thing to keep in mind though is that Authorize.net’s payment gateway services might not be available for all sub-sectors of the adult industry. Make sure you check the fine print to see if your adult content and services are part of the audience they cater to. You might also want to consider setting up a merchant account with a different provider and then enlisting Authorize.net as your gateway solutions provider to get cheaper rates.
Paynet Secure is one of the newer providers on the scene. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, these guys provide a range of payment processing and merchant solutions that includes payment gateway services. Specifically tailored for high risk merchants, it’s unclear whether Paynet Secure caters to every sector of the adult entertainment industry. So you might want to reach out directly to find out whether they work with your specific niche. Much like any other payment gateway provider on the market, Paynet Secure touts PCI-DSS certified solutions that keep all of your transactions secure. They also offer features like recurring payment management for subscription-type services, cloud reporting for instant access to transaction records, and high volume processing which works great for live content.
Since they are pretty new to the scene, there’s not a lot of information about Paynet Secure’s prices on the web. And based on the information on their website, rates can vary widely depending on the merchant. So if you were looking to get a better idea of what their gateway services might cost, it would be best to reach out directly.
Much like eMerchant Broker, Instabill is one of the providers that touts a higher risk appetite compared to its competitors. These guys support services including streaming videos, adult toys, gentleman’s clubs, online dating services, and even escort services which allows them to cater to virtually every business in the adult content industry. Their payment gateway solutions offer the basics, but provide excellent, streamlined features that easily integrate with your existing payment processing solutions. They provide a transactions page, statistics page, and virtual terminals that allow you to accept payments in various ways that might be more accessible for your clients. It’s worth mentioning however that many of Instabill’s features are not in-house which means they work with a number of other service providers to bring you the full package. Nonetheless, they have been known to serve up some prompt customer support despite outsourcing their features, which might not make it too big of a deal.
Having been around for a few years, Bankcard has established itself as one of the forerunners in the payment processing industry, especially for adult content websites. The provider touts itself as a solid choice for high risk merchants, providing tailored solutions that are individualized to meet your business needs. Their payment solutions provide fraud and chargeback protection features that maintain your merchant account in good standing and keep your electronic payment facilities up and running. They also offer identity theft protection, age verification features, and free equipment for virtual and mobile terminals.
Integrating seamlessly with existing digital infrastructure, Bankcard lets you streamline your payment processing efforts minus the steep learning curve. Just make sure you reach out to them to find out what sectors they cater to so you can determine whether your business would be a match for their offers.
Boasting their own proprietary gateway called Solidgate, Corepay offers to support high-volume transactions for high risk merchants, including those offering adult content. It works well for adult entertainment providers because of its extensive anti-fraud feature and expanded customer base that lets you transact seamlessly with patrons from all over the globe. Corepay works with a number of other well-known providers to deliver integrated solutions that work effortlessly with existing software you might already have up and running. Their robust fraud and chargeback protection features let them open their doors to some of the riskiest sectors of the adult industry, including live streaming services and escort services. Easy, simple, and secure, Corepay provides excellent services for adult content providers that get a lot of traffic in one go. To know more about their rates, it would be best to reach out to Corepay directly since their fees can fluctuate drastically depending on who they’re working with.
There’s a reason why not all payment gateway providers accommodate adult content websites. And that’s mainly because of the risk of chargebacks and thus the higher risk associated with these businesses. In the same light, not all payment gateway providers are equipped with the facilities and solutions needed to keep payments secure for ventures offering adult content. So before you jump into a contract, make sure you check the fine print. Here’s how to tell if an adult content payment gateway can provide the right solutions for your business.
No two adult content payment gateway providers are created equal. If you’re on the hunt for the best of the best, our list of the 6 top providers should help narrow your search. Consider these picks when choosing your payment gateway and enjoy seamless, streamlined, and trouble-free payment solutions for your adult content website from here on out.
