Last updated: July 2026
Because we work with higher-risk industries, compliance is central to what we do. This page explains, in plain terms, the standards and safeguards we and our processing partners follow. It is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
Black Ridge Payments is committed to operating honestly and within the law. We work only with legitimate businesses and partner with processors and banks that maintain robust compliance programs. Serving "high-risk" industries does not mean serving illegal ones.
All processing arranged through Black Ridge Payments is subject to the rules of the major card networks (such as Visa and Mastercard). Merchants must operate in accordance with those rules, and accounts that violate them may be suspended or terminated by the processor.
"KYC" means verifying who our merchants are. Before an account goes live, our partners collect and verify business and ownership information. This protects the payment system, reduces fraud, and is required by law and by the card networks.
Our partners maintain anti-money-laundering programs designed to detect and prevent the use of payment systems for illegal purposes. Suspicious activity may be reviewed and, where required, reported to the appropriate authorities.
We do not support businesses engaged in illegal activity. Prohibited categories generally include (but are not limited to) the sale of illegal goods or services, unlicensed activity where a license is required, fraudulent schemes, and any business barred by law or card-network rules. Some legal industries are "restricted" and require additional review before approval.
High-risk accounts are monitored for chargebacks and fraud. Keeping chargeback ratios within network thresholds is essential to keeping an account in good standing. We help merchants understand and manage these requirements.
Cardholder data is handled in line with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Merchants are responsible for maintaining PCI compliance for their own environments, and our partners provide tools to help.
We and our partners cooperate with lawful requests from regulators, card networks, and law enforcement.
If you believe an account is being used improperly, or you have a compliance question, contact us at support@blackridgepayments.com.