Before an acquirer approves a merchant account, someone reviews your website. They check that it shows who you are, what you sell, what it costs and how customers can get help or a refund. For high-risk businesses this review is stricter, and a website that isn’t ready is one of the most common reasons an application stalls.
This guide lists the website requirements acquirers and payment gateways check, the extra checks for high-risk industries, and a final checklist to go through before you apply.
Key takeaways
- Your website must clearly show your company name, address and customer service contact details.
- Terms and conditions, privacy, refund and cancellation, and delivery policies must be published and easy to find, especially from the checkout.
- Products, prices and currencies must be clear, and match what you told the acquirer you sell.
- The site must run on HTTPS, with a secure checkout.
- High-risk industries need more: age verification for adult content, clear subscription terms, licences for gambling, and compliant product claims for nutraceuticals and CBD.
Why acquirers review your website
Your acquirer is responsible to the card schemes for the merchants it accepts. The website review checks that your business is real, that what you sell is allowed and correctly classified under your merchant category code, and that customers have enough information to avoid disputes. Many chargebacks start with a customer who couldn’t find a refund policy or a way to cancel.
In the EU, consumer law sets a baseline too. The Consumer Rights Directive requires online traders to give consumers clear information about who they are, the total price and, in most cases, the 14-day right of withdrawal. An acquirer will expect your website to meet the rules of the countries you sell to.
Business information
- A live website with your real products or services. If you are not launched yet, a working staging site the acquirer can access.
- Your legal company name, matching your application, and your registered address.
- Customer service contact details: an email address, and ideally a phone number, shown on every page or on a contact page linked from every page.
- The country you operate from, so customers know which consumer rules apply.
Required website policies
Terms and conditions
Your terms should describe what customers get, how payment works, and the rules for using your service. Link them from the checkout and ask customers to accept them before paying.
Privacy policy
Explain what personal data you collect, why, how long you keep it and who you share it with, in line with GDPR if you sell to the EU or UK. Include a cookie notice if you use non-essential cookies.
Refund and cancellation policy
State how customers can cancel, how and when refunds are issued, and any exceptions. Be specific. “No refunds” policies that conflict with consumer law, or policies customers can’t find, lead straight to disputes.
Delivery policy
For physical goods, show where you ship, delivery times and costs. For digital goods and services, explain how and when access is given.
Subscription and recurring billing terms
If you sell subscriptions or free trials, show the price, the billing frequency, when the first charge happens, and how to cancel, clearly and before payment. Card scheme rules for trials and subscriptions expect this, and your acquirer will check it.
Products, prices and checkout
- Clear product descriptions that match the business you described in your application.
- Prices with currency, and any taxes, shipping or extra fees shown before the customer pays.
- A secure checkout on HTTPS, with no mixed content, and card details collected by your payment gateway rather than a home-made form.
- Links to your policies on the checkout page.
- Order confirmation on screen and by email, showing what was bought, the amount, and how the charge will appear on the statement.
- Test access for the acquirer if your content or products are behind a login.
Extra requirements for high-risk industries
Adult
Acquirers expect effective age verification before any adult content is shown, clear content and model consent policies, and a way to report and remove illegal content. In the UK the Online Safety Act makes age checks a legal requirement. See our adult merchant account page.
Dating
Clear membership tiers, auto-renewal terms and a simple way to cancel. See online dating merchant accounts.
Gaming and gambling
Gambling operators must show their licence details and the countries they accept players from, and offer responsible gambling tools. See gambling merchant accounts.
Nutraceuticals and CBD
No health claims you can’t back up, ingredient and dosage information, and lab test results where required. Trial offers need especially clear terms. See nutraceutical and CBD merchant accounts.
Subscriptions
Prominent pricing, renewal dates, reminders and a one-click or simple cancellation path. See subscription merchant accounts.
Hospitality
Booking terms, cancellation deadlines, deposits and no-show fees, shown before payment. See hospitality payment processing.
Common reasons websites fail review
- Policies missing, copied from another site, or not linked from the checkout.
- No company name or address, or details that don’t match the application.
- Products on the site that weren’t declared in the application.
- Prices or subscription terms hidden until after payment.
- Broken pages, placeholder text or a checkout that doesn’t work.
- Health or earnings claims that can’t be supported.
Final website checklist
- Company name, address and customer service contacts visible.
- Terms and conditions, privacy, refund and cancellation, and delivery policies published and linked from the checkout.
- Subscription and trial terms shown before payment, if relevant.
- Products, prices and currencies clear and matching your application.
- HTTPS everywhere and a secure checkout.
- Order confirmation email with the statement descriptor and support contact.
- Industry requirements in place: age verification, licences, product information.
- Test login details ready for the acquirer.
Your website is one part of the application. See our full list of requirements for the company documents you’ll need, and our guide to getting approved for a high-risk merchant account.
Frequently asked questions
What does a payment gateway check on my website?
Acquirers and gateways check your company details, customer service contacts, terms and policies, product descriptions and prices, a secure checkout, and any industry-specific requirements such as age verification or licences.
Which policies does my website need for a merchant account?
Terms and conditions, a privacy policy, a refund and cancellation policy, and a delivery policy, plus clear subscription terms if you bill on a recurring basis. They should be linked from the checkout.
Can I apply for a merchant account before my website is live?
Often yes, if you can give the acquirer access to a working staging site that shows your products, prices, policies and checkout. A blank or placeholder site usually delays approval.
Do I need SSL to accept card payments?
Yes. Your whole site, and especially the checkout, should run on HTTPS. Card details should be collected by your payment gateway’s secure fields or hosted page.
What extra website requirements apply to adult businesses?
Effective age verification before adult content is visible, content and consent policies, a way to report illegal content, and clear subscription terms. In the UK, age checks are a legal requirement under the Online Safety Act.
Why was my website rejected by a payment provider?
Common reasons are missing or hard-to-find policies, company details that don’t match the application, undeclared products, hidden subscription terms, and unsupported health or earnings claims.
Next step
Getting your website right before you apply saves weeks of back and forth. Fasto works with adult, subscription, nutraceutical, gaming, dating and hospitality merchants. Approval typically takes two to three weeks.
Get a free quote and tell us about your business.
