# High Stakes & High Risk: Master the Maze of Merchant Processing

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-paycast-network-7557459/high-stakes-high-risk-master-the-maze-of-merchant-processing
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-paycast-network-7557459/high-stakes-high-risk-master-the-maze-of-merchant-processing.md
Podcast: [The Paycast Network](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-paycast-network-7557459)
Published: 2026-04-30T12:21:37+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-paycast-network/episodes/High-Stakes--High-Risk-Master-the-Maze-of-Merchant-Processing-e3ilmrk
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APO2141043946.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-paycast-network-7557459/episodes/high-stakes-high-risk-master-the-maze-of-merchant-processing
Duration seconds: 2384

## Resource

In this episode of The Paycast Network, host Chase Gunnell sits down with experts Zack Gottlieb, Andrew Gill, Clay Shivers, and Scott Morley to demystify the high-stakes world of high-risk merchant processing. The panel explores why the 1% chargeback threshold is often subjective and how underwriters evaluate complex factors like bank account liquidity relative to ticket size to determine a merchant's stability. Listeners will gain insight into specific high-risk verticals, including the evolving funding models in the airline industry designed to mitigate bankruptcy waves, the challenges SaaS companies face when scaling beyond Stripe’s risk tolerance, and the strict regulatory landscape surrounding B2C peptide sales that can trigger costly BRAM violations. The discussion also reveals why seemingly standard businesses like furniture stores and collection agencies often fall into high-risk categories due to long delivery timeframes and historical industry reputation. Finally, the group offers invaluable advice for agents on the importance of submitting clean application packages and monitoring Visa Account Monitoring Program (VAMP) ratios to ensure long-term success in the high-risk arena.

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## Transcript

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