What makes an ordinary store high-risk
The category decides before you apply
Supplements, vape, CBD, adult, dropshipping, coaching, tickets: if your industry code is on the restricted list, underwriting starts from no. Nothing about your conduct has been read yet.
Card-not-present means fraud liability is yours
Every online sale is CNP, so stolen-card losses and 'item not received' disputes land on you. Cross roughly 0.9% disputes and monitoring programs and fines begin.
New stores get held by default
Stripe and PayPal routinely hold new-merchant funds 30 to 90 days or apply 25% rolling reserves, right when you're fronting inventory and ad spend.
Growth trips the alarms
A winning campaign triples volume, the risk model reads it as fraud, and payouts pause mid-scale while ads keep spending.
How high-risk stores stay liquid with Flint
Approval isn't a phase
No underwriting queue, no category screen, no processing-history requirement. Account to live checkout in under an hour.
Same-day settlement, no holds
Funds are final minutes after on-chain confirmation. No 30 to 90 day new-store hold, no reserve, no payout schedule.
'Item not received' can't become a dispute
Shipping delays become support conversations you control with tracking and refunds, not bank reversals at week two of a three-week delivery.
Spikes are just good days
Each payment confirms independently on-chain. There is no fraud model watching your velocity, so scaling doesn't pause your cash.
Drops into your existing stack
Hosted checkout links sit beside cards on Shopify, WooCommerce, or custom carts, and the API drives deeper integrations with signed webhooks for fulfillment.
Pick your plan
Monthly fee plus a rate per sale. Upgrade when volume picks up.
Starter
Free to start validating ideas.
Fees
5.00% + 50¢ per transaction
Features
- All features to sell
- Standard support
Pro
For builders & early teams.
Fees
3.80% + 40¢ per transaction
Features
- All features on Starter
- Preview access to new features
- Prioritized support
Growth
For scaling startups.
Fees
3.60% + 35¢ per transaction
Features
- All features on Pro
- Preview access to new features
- Prioritized support
Scale
For fast growing businesses.
Fees
3.20% + 25¢ per transaction
Features
- All features on Growth
- Dedicated account manager
- Custom SLAs
E-commerce payment questions, answered
What exactly gets a store classified high-risk?
Category first: restricted industries are high-risk regardless of conduct. Then structure: card-not-present sales, delivery windows over two weeks, average tickets over a few hundred dollars, heavy international mix, subscription billing, or a founder's prior processing history. Any one can tip the label.
How do I get approved for a high-risk card account anyway?
Apply to processors that already serve your category with a complete packet: corporate documents, owner IDs, 3 to 6 months of bank statements, prior processing history, and a compliant site with visible terms, refund policy, and contact details. Expect 2 to 6 weeks and terms of 3.5 to 6% with a reserve. Run Flint in parallel so revenue starts now.
What does a 25% rolling reserve actually cost?
On $50,000 a month, a 25% reserve holds $12,500 monthly, up to six months deep. That's up to $75,000 of your capital earning nothing while you pay suppliers on credit. Flint holds zero.
Does Flint work with Shopify or WooCommerce?
Yes. Add hosted checkout links as a payment option, or integrate the API for a native flow. Webhooks tell your store to fulfill the moment payment confirms.
Will customers actually use crypto checkout?
A minority will, and it's worth outsized attention because that revenue settles instantly with no dispute risk. Many stores add a 5 to 10% crypto discount to shift volume; the fee and risk savings fund it.
What are the fees?
Published for everyone: 5.00% + 50¢ free tier, down to 3.20% + 25¢ on Scale. No reserve, no dispute fees, no monthly minimum beyond the plan.