Sex Toy Merchant Accounts 2024

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Last Updated on January 3, 2024 by Corepay

In the sex toy industry and looking for a reliable payment processing solution? You’ve come to the right place. At Corepay, we have two decades of high-risk credit card processing experience and can offer sex toy merchant accounts tailored to your needs.

If you own an adult store or are starting one, you likely already know that sex toy ownership is on the rise worldwide. The global sex toy market is expected to grow from 27.17 billion dollars to over 53 billion dollars by 2026.

Key Takeaways

• We offer highly competitive adult toy merchant accounts
• Adult toy merchant accounts are labeled high-risk
• You can use Shopify for your storefront; you will just need a high-risk provider

Due to adult toys rising popularity, you might be surprised to hear that this industry is deemed high-risk by processors. This means that you will need a high-risk processing partner, even operating on an e-commerce platform such as Shopify.

*Note: We offer Shopify high-risk merchant accounts and can get you set up seamlessly.

This article will explain why we are a great partner for your adult toy payment processing and also explain to you the ins and outs of the industry.

Corepay offers payment processing for the following adult toys not limited to:

• Penis rings
• Vibrators
• Kegel balls
• Anal toys (beads, plugs)
• Packers
• Pumps

While the adult industry has a massive economic presence globally, it can be very challenging to find credit card processing for several reasons that we will get to shortly.

For a complete guide to adult payment processing, check out this guide.

Why Are Adult Toys High-Risk?

While people are more open to talking about things related to sex, anything adult related is still considered taboo. For this reason, banks and processors don’t want to damage their reputation by servicing adult toy shops.

If you’ve been around the adult entertainment business for a while, you’ve likely realized how frustrating it can be to find payment processing/payment gateways for adult services/products.

At the end of the day, it comes down to financing with banks when they are underwriting your account. They must know that the risk they take with your business is worth it.

Payment processing for a high-risk industry like this is similar to a bank loan because if the bank refuses to provide financial backing, the loan won’t go through.

If the bank refuses to underwrite a specific industry, the payment processors won’t be able to accept merchants in those industries.

So, why would an adult toy shop be deemed high-risk?

They are high-risk for the following reasons:

• Chargebacks – friendly and unfriendly fraud
• Reputational risk
• Regulations
• Cybersecurity hacks
• CNP transactions

Chargebacks

Chargebacks are devastating for all businesses, no matter the industry. One reason for chargebacks in the adult industry is if a spouse discovers a specific purchase and confronts their loved one about it. 

The person then will file a dispute claiming that they were unaware of the purchase or that it wasn’t them. While you can implement some chargeback management software, these types of claims can sometimes be difficult to dispute.

Reputational Risk

Reputational risk is something banks will typically take on, provided that your business is profitable. With this being said, banks are a little less enthusiastic about dealing with startups in this industry since there is a risk right out of the gate.

Regulations

Similar to CBD and telemedicine, the adult toy industry is heavily regulated by card brand networks to ensure there isn’t any illegal activity.

Security

The adult industry has been plagued with cybersecurity issues since day one. This usually happens in the form of hacking/security breaches.

To keep up with hackers, gateway providers need to add extensive security to ensure the safety of their clients. Unfortunately, doing this makes it less profitable for processors and gateway providers and more time-consuming.

CNP Transactions

Card-not-present transactions are rampant in this industry. When a business relies on many CNP transactions, they are bringing a little bit more risk to the equation as more chargebacks occur with CNP transactions.

Applying For Payment Processing For Sex Toys

Applying for payment processing for your sex toy shop, brick-and-mortar or online-based, is a breeze with Corepay.

You will need the following when applying:

• 3-6 months processing history of statements
• Voided check
• Principal’s driver’s license
• Proof of operating address
• Company EIN document
• Business plan – optional

The more information you can give us during the application process, the quicker we can get you boarded. In addition, if you have experience in the niche you operate in, this can also be helpful to share.

Why Choose Corepay

We are confident that we can grow your business. With over two decades of high-risk credit card processing experience and knowledge of the pharma industry, we have what it takes to get you approved and ensure you stay approved.

We also offer Netvalve, our gateway built specifically for high-risk accounts.

Below is what we have to offer at Corepay:

• Fast Approvals Within 24-72 Hours, even for high-risk industries
• Exceptional Customer Service, including direct access to Management Team
• Risk mitigation with Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) by Verifi, 3-D Secure 2.1/ our partner product CB-ALERT
• Low-risk rates as low as $99 per month and $0.05 per transaction
• Waived fees (application, set up, annual)
• Maximize approval ratios due to routing technology based on your target customer base within our proprietary payment gateway
• Traditional chargeback alerts by Ethoca and Verifi
• High-risk rates as low as a blended 2.95%

What To Know If Using Shopify

If you are operating a Shopify storefront, we have good news: we can provide you with a high-risk payment processing account and set it up for you.

You will get a notification from Shopify should you try and use them for processing, saying that you need to find a high-risk solution, so better to do it before you have any problems.

Payment Gateway Solutions For Adult Toy Stores

At Corepay, our proprietary gateway, Netvalve, is specifically designed to handle high-risk verticals with substantial volume.

Choosing A Payment Processor (With Good Vibrations)

Choosing a payment processing partner doesn’t need to be hard – pun intended. However, we advise you to research and compare rates/services before deciding on a solution. 

Wrapping Up

We offer the best adult toy merchant accounts for Europe and the US. With over two decades of payment processing experience in this space, we can ensure you maximize approvals, stamp out fraud, and avoid having your account frozen.

Fill out the application below to get started.