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Reviews
PayKings
PayKings

PayKings

Agent/Reseller
4.8 / 5.0(234 reviews)
A-
Expert grade
4.0/5
Fact-checked April 30, 2026
Our verdict

PayKings runs published interchange-plus pricing across three volume tiers — Starter (IC + 1.10% + 25¢), Growth (IC + 0.80% + 10¢), and custom Enterprise. That level of transparency is rare for processors that also serve high-risk verticals. The Growth tier at $100K+/mo is where they're genuinely competitive against Helcim and Stripe; the Starter tier costs more than flat-rate alternatives at low volume.

Best for

Merchants processing $100K+/mo who want transparent interchange-plus pricing with a dedicated account rep, plus high-volume merchants in restricted verticals (CBD, nutra, firearms, debt relief) who need an Enterprise-tier underwriting team.

Skip it if you

Process under $25K/mo on a card-not-present mix — Stripe or Square will likely cost less than the Starter tier's IC + 1.10% on similar volume. Or you're a brand-new business in an unrestricted vertical where flat-rate predictability is easier to forecast than IC + markup.

Founded

2011

Headquarters

St. Petersburg, Fl

Company size

11-50 Employees

Website

Visit website
The takeA-

PayKings runs published interchange-plus pricing across three volume tiers — Starter (IC + 1.10% + 25¢), Growth (IC + 0.80% + 10¢), and custom Enterprise. That level of transparency is rare for processors that also serve high-risk verticals. The Growth tier at $100K+/mo is where they're genuinely competitive against Helcim and Stripe; the Starter tier costs more than flat-rate alternatives at low volume.

Best for

Merchants processing $100K+/mo who want transparent interchange-plus pricing with a dedicated account rep, plus high-volume merchants in restricted verticals (CBD, nutra, firearms, debt relief) who need an Enterprise-tier underwriting team.

Skip if you

Process under $25K/mo on a card-not-present mix — Stripe or Square will likely cost less than the Starter tier's IC + 1.10% on similar volume. Or you're a brand-new business in an unrestricted vertical where flat-rate predictability is easier to forecast than IC + markup.

Reading Progress0%
4 min read

Quick Navigation

  • Should you choose PayKings?
  • What it costs
  • What you actually get
  • What others say
  • Better choices if…
  • How we evaluated PayKings
Chapter 1

Should you choose PayKings?

The headline take, the audiences it's right (and wrong) for, and the genuine differentiators behind the verdict.

TL;DR

Editor's note

PayKings positions itself as the rare processor that combines published interchange-plus pricing with willingness to underwrite restricted verticals. The Growth tier is the sweet spot — at $100K+/mo IC + 0.80% + 10¢ is competitive with Helcim and Stripe Custom, and the dedicated rep + waived monthly fee close the gap on relationship support. Below $100K/mo, flat-rate competitors usually win on total cost.

PayKings stands out in the payment processing industry by focusing on high-risk merchants, providing customized solutions for sectors often underserved by traditional processors. Their services include advanced fraud prevention tools, a high-risk payment gateway, and support for various industries such as CBD, adult entertainment, and firearms. While their feature set is robust, potential clients should be aware of limited pricing transparency and ensure they understand contract terms fully.

About

PayKings is a specialized payment processor offering tailored solutions for high-risk industries with a strong emphasis on fraud prevention.

Pros, cons, and audience

Best for

  • Mid-volume merchants ($100K+/mo) who want IC + markup with a dedicated rep
  • High-volume restricted-vertical merchants (CBD, nutra, firearms, debt relief) processing $300K+/mo
  • Merchants graduating from Stripe / Square who need real account management
  • Businesses that want published interchange-plus pricing as a negotiation anchor before talking to specialty acquirers

Skip it if you

  • Low-volume merchants under $25K/mo — flat-rate competitors (Square, Stripe) will likely cost less than IC + 1.10%
  • High card-present-volume retailers — Helcim's ~0.20% CP markup is meaningfully cheaper than PayKings's flat 1.10% Starter markup on the same swipe
  • Brand-new businesses in unrestricted verticals — flat-rate predictability is easier to forecast in early months
  • Merchants who refuse to share processing statements during underwriting

Pros

  • Published interchange-plus pricing across three tiers

    PayKings publishes Starter (IC + 1.10% + 25¢) and Growth (IC + 0.80% + 10¢) on their homepage with no sales call required. Among processors that also underwrite restricted verticals, that level of upfront transparency is genuinely rare.

  • Approves restricted verticals at the Enterprise tier

    CBD, nutraceuticals, firearms, debt relief, and adult businesses that get declined by Stripe or Square typically get same-week approval through PayKings's Enterprise tier with a dedicated risk analyst.

  • Growth tier perks unlock at $100K/mo, not seven figures

    Dedicated account rep, advanced analytics, next-day settlement, and waived monthly fee all come at $100K+/mo — a much lower threshold than Stripe's named-rep tier or most acquiring banks' relationship support.

  • Proactive chargeback monitoring

    Account managers flag when chargeback ratio approaches the 1% threshold that triggers reserve increases, before it becomes a problem. Uncommon in restricted-vertical processing where surprise reserve hikes are a frequent complaint.

What makes them different

The genuine differentiator

PayKings is one of the few processors that combines published IC + markup pricing with willingness to underwrite high-risk verticals. Most processors are one or the other: transparent flat-rate brands (Stripe, Square) won't touch CBD or firearms, and high-risk specialists (PaymentCloud, eMerchantBroker, Durango) require a sales call before disclosing any rate. PayKings publishes both the standard tiers AND will quote restricted verticals against the same Enterprise tier framework.

What surprised us

The Starter tier's flat 1.10% markup applies to all transaction types — there's no card-present discount. That's unusual for IC + markup processors (Helcim, Stax, Stripe Custom all give a markup break for card-present). The simplicity helps merchants forecast costs, but high card-present-volume retailers will find Helcim's 0.20% card-present markup meaningfully cheaper at comparable volume.

How we score it

3.5
Pricing Transparency
4.5
Feature Set
4
Ease of Use
3.5
Customer Support
3.5
Contract Terms
5
Industry Reputation
How we got there

PayKings scores well across key evaluation categories. Its pricing transparency is rated 3.5—not because of hidden fees, but because public pricing isn’t feasible in high-risk processing, where underwriting is customized based on each merchant’s risk profile. The feature set earns a 4.5 due to comprehensive offerings like recurring billing, multi-MID support, advanced fraud tools, and mobile SDKs. Ease of use is rated 4.0; while most integrations are straightforward, setup may require technical assistance in some cases. Customer support receives a 3.5—merchants benefit from dedicated account managers, but some reviews cite occasional delays or inconsistent follow-up. Contract terms also score 3.5, reflecting standard multi-year agreements and rolling reserves typical in high-risk processing, though transparency and flexibility could be improved. Finally, industry reputation earns a 4.5, as PayKings is widely regarded as a reliable, effective solution for businesses in sectors that traditional processors avoid.

Chapter 2

What it costs

Real-world cost at three volumes, plus the rates, fees, payouts, and contract terms that drive them.

What PayKings actually costs

Estimated annual cost at three realistic processing volumes, using PayKings’s published online rate plus monthly fees. Real costs vary with average transaction size, chargeback rate, and any negotiated terms.

Small business
$10K/mo volume · ~$75 avg transaction
$3.6K/year
≈ $303/mo · 3.03% effective rate
Growing merchant
$50K/mo volume · ~$100 avg transaction
$18K/year
≈ $1.5K/mo · 2.93% effective rate
High volume
$250K/mo volume · ~$150 avg transaction
$87K/year
≈ $7.3K/mo · 2.91% effective rate

Pricing schemes

3 pricing models offered. Pick the row that matches your eligibility — most merchants land on the first one by default.

Interchange-plus

Starter

Availability: $0–$100K / month processing volume

Pass-through cost (interchange) plus a published markup. Most cost-effective for higher volume merchants.

Final cost = card network interchange (passed through at cost) + the markup below.
Card-present markup
1.10% + 25¢ above interchange
Online markup
1.10% + 25¢ above interchange
Keyed / manual markup
1.10% + 25¢ above interchange
Markup notes

PayKings publishes the same markup for all transaction types at this tier — there's no card-present discount. Self-serve onboarding gets you processing in roughly 24 hours; settlement is T+2 business days.

What’s in this plan
  • 24-hour approval
  • T+2 settlement
  • Email support
  • Standard reporting
  • Self-serve onboarding
  • 50+ supported industries
  • Chargeback alerts
  • Gateway integrations
  • Dedicated rep
  • Dedicated risk analyst
Our take on this plan

Starter pricing is genuinely transparent for merchants under $100K/mo — IC + 1.10% + 25¢ across all transaction types, no setup fees, no long-term contracts. The trade-off is the 1.10% markup itself, which sits roughly 30–50 basis points above what flat-rate competitors (Stripe, Square) end up charging on similar low-volume mixes. Worth picking when you'd rather pay for transparent passthrough than the predictability of a flat rate, or when you're approaching $100K/mo and want a smooth path to the Growth tier.

Interchange-plus

Growth

Availability: $100K–$300K / month processing volume — PayKings's most popular tier

Pass-through cost (interchange) plus a published markup. Most cost-effective for higher volume merchants.

Final cost = card network interchange (passed through at cost) + the markup below.
Card-present markup
0.80% + 10¢ above interchange
Online markup
0.80% + 10¢ above interchange
Keyed / manual markup
0.80% + 10¢ above interchange
Markup notes

Same 0.80% markup applies to all transaction types. Crossing the $100K/mo threshold also unlocks: dedicated account rep, advanced analytics dashboards, next-day settlement (vs T+2 on Starter), and the monthly fee is waived.

What’s in this plan
  • 24-hour approval
  • Next-day settlement
  • Dedicated account rep
  • Advanced analytics
  • Guided onboarding
  • Volume cap removed
  • Monthly fee waived
  • Chargeback alerts
  • Gateway integrations
  • Dedicated risk analyst
Our take on this plan

The Growth tier is where PayKings becomes a genuinely competitive choice: IC + 0.80% + 10¢ matches what merchants get from Helcim and Stripe Custom around the same volume. The dedicated account rep + monthly fee waiver are the real differentiators against Stripe at this tier — Stripe doesn't assign reps until much higher volume. If you're processing $100K+/mo and considering interchange-plus, get a quote here before signing with anyone else.

Custom / quote-only

Enterprise

Availability: $300K+ / month processing volume

Rate disclosed only through a sales quote. Verify ranges with the editor's note below.

Custom pricing tailored to volume and risk profile. Rate, settlement timing, monthly fee, and reserve terms all negotiated individually after underwriting. What to ask for in the quote: • Markup percentage and per-transaction fee (the actual interchange-plus components) • Reserve policy: rolling reserve % and release schedule • Same-day settlement availability (advertised but conditional on acquiring bank) • Any volume commitments or take-or-pay structure • Chargeback threshold tolerances before reserve increases Documented merchant-reported markup ranges at $300K–$1M+/mo: 0.25%–0.80% + 5–15¢ above interchange.

What’s in this plan
  • 24-hour approval
  • Same-day settlement (where available)
  • 24/7 dedicated support team
  • Advanced + custom dashboards
  • White-glove onboarding
  • Volume cap removed
  • Custom monthly fee terms
  • Dedicated risk analyst
  • Chargeback alerts
  • Gateway integrations
Our take on this plan

Custom pricing is genuinely custom at this tier — we've seen markups quoted as low as 0.25% + 5¢ for clean retail accounts processing $1M+/mo, and as high as 0.60% for high-risk verticals at the same volume. The dedicated risk analyst is the new feature unlocked at this tier and is meaningful: PayKings tunes acquiring relationships and reserve policies per merchant, which matters most at high-risk and high-volume intersections. Negotiate the markup, not just the support level.

Fees

Our take

PayKings markets the Starter and Growth tiers as 'no setup fees, no hidden costs, no long-term contracts'. The Growth tier explicitly waives the monthly fee. If your existing PayKings account shows a $13/mo fee or $100–$500 ETF, you're likely on an older legacy contract — those fees aren't part of the current published pricing and are worth a renegotiation conversation. Chargeback fees ($25 per incident) and reserve requirements (5–10% rolling on restricted verticals) remain quoted at underwriting.

Monthly Fee

$13

Recurring monthly account fee

Setup Fee

$0

One-time account setup and onboarding fee

PCI Compliance Fee

$4.50/month

Annual PCI DSS compliance and security fee

Statement Fee

Varies; not publicly disclosed

Monthly account statement and reporting fee

Chargeback Fee

$25 per incident

Per-incident chargeback dispute fee

Early Termination Fee

$100–$500 depending on contract terms

Fee for canceling before contract end

Contract Terms

Contract Length

Required commitment period

Typically 3 years with auto-renewal clauses

Cancellation Process

How to terminate your account

Requires written notice; early termination fees may apply

PayKings Pricing Calculator

Estimate your monthly costs

Pick a published plan, enter your volume and transaction profile, and we’ll compute the math the same way an underwriter would. Real costs vary with card mix, chargeback rate, and any negotiated terms.

$
$
Estimated Monthly Cost
$358.00
Effective Rate
3.58%
Markup (1.1% × $10,000)$110.00
Per-transaction fees ($0.25 × 200)$50.00
Estimated interchange (~1.65% + 10¢ × 200)$185.00
Monthly fee$13.00
Number of transactions200

Markup over interchange — interchange estimated separately

Chapter 3

What you actually get

Products, integrations, payment-type coverage, security posture, and how their support holds up in practice.

Products & Services

PAYMENT PROCESSING

High-Risk Merchant Accounts

Customized based on business type and risk level

Customized payment processing solutions for high-risk industries.

Key Features

  • Support for industries like CBD, adult, firearms, and more
  • Advanced fraud detection
  • Chargeback prevention tools
  • Recurring billing options
GATEWAY

High-Risk Payment Gateway

Customized based on integration and volume

Secure gateway tailored for high-risk transactions.

Key Features

  • Real-time transaction monitoring
  • PCI DSS Level 1 compliance
  • Multi-layer authentication
  • Customizable payment flows
VIRTUAL TERMINAL

Virtual Terminal

Included with merchant account services

Web-based terminal for manual payment processing.

Key Features

  • Manual entry for card-not-present transactions
  • Secure data handling
  • Integration with fraud prevention tools
ACH

ACH Processing

Customized based on transaction volume

Electronic check processing for high-risk merchants.

Key Features

  • Support for recurring ACH payments
  • Reduced transaction fees compared to credit cards
  • Integrated with fraud prevention systems
MOBILE PAYMENTS

Mobile Payment Solutions

Customized based on business needs

Accept payments via mobile devices.

Key Features

  • Mobile-optimized checkout
  • Integration with mobile wallets
  • Secure transaction processing

Support Options

Available Support Channels

Phone
Available
Email
Available

Support Hours

24/7 for technical support; business hours for account support

Response Time

Typically within 1–2 business days; urgent matters addressed via emergency contact

Support & Contact

When something goes wrong

Support tiering matches the pricing tiers cleanly: Starter is email-only, Growth gets a dedicated account rep during business hours, Enterprise unlocks 24/7 dedicated support. For low-volume merchants the email-only floor is a meaningful gap — issues that need same-day resolution will block. Confirm response-time SLAs in writing before relying on Starter for any business above sub-hobbyist scale.

(727) 399-6960
contact@paykings.com
Visit Website
business_pst

Support Types

phoneemail
Chapter 4

What others say

Synthesis of third-party platform reviews and industry ratings — agreements, disagreements, and which signals to weight.

Platform Ratings

Aggregated Trust Score

Based on 234 reviews across 2 rating platforms

4.8
out of 5
Overall Rating

Google Reviews

94 reviews

Reviewer Notes

These reviews highlight PayKings’ efficiency in onboarding high-risk merchants and their commitment to customer support. However, as with any service, experiences may vary, and it’s advisable to conduct thorough research and due diligence before proceeding.

Trustpilot

140 reviews

Reviewer Notes

Customers praise PayKings for its swift approval process and tailored solutions for high-risk industries.

Industry Ratings

Card Payment Options

5/5

In this review of PayKings, we will give an overview of the company's credit card processing services. We’ll cover the services they offer, including high-risk merchant accounts, point-of-sale (POS) systems, mobile payments, and e-commerce options. We’ll also discuss which businesses might benefit from them. In addition, we’ll look at customer reviews to highlight trends and concerns, as well as cover the company's pricing, contract terms, and what services are included. By the end of this review, you'll know if PayKings is a good fit for your payment processing needs.

Merchant Maverick

4/5

Much maligned high-risk businesses can have a tough time finding merchant services, so it’s always nice to see players such as PayKings stepping up to meet their needs. PayKings doesn’t reinvent the niche, but it offers its customers a complete suite of services. A deciding factor here could be how much of a hands-on approach you want your payment process to take in terms of keeping your merchant account active and compliant. PayKings also appears to have particular expertise when it comes to selling CBD products on Shopify, so businesses using that platform for eCommerce may find this company especially well-suited to their needs.

Chapter 7

Better choices if…

Direct comparisons to alternatives, framed around when each option makes more sense than this one.

Better choices if…

Stripe

Stripe offers transparent pricing and robust developer tools but has strict policies that may not accommodate high-risk industries.

How we evaluated PayKings

We evaluate every payment processor independently — Payment Review does not accept paid placement. Our analysis combines hands-on product testing where possible, public pricing and policy documents, third-party reviews from BBB, Trustpilot, Google, and G2, and employee feedback from sites like Glassdoor and Indeed. We update reviews on a rolling cadence and flag the next review date so readers know how fresh the analysis is.

Last fact-checked April 30, 2026

Sources we relied on

  • PayKings published pricing page (verified)
    https://paykings.com/pricing/
  • BBB profile and complaint patterns for Payment Processing International
    https://www.bbb.org/us/fl/boca-raton/profile/credit-card-merchant-services/payment-processing-international-llc-0633-92012547
  • Merchant Maverick third-party review (cross-reference for rate ranges)
    https://www.merchantmaverick.com/reviews/paykings-review/
  • Glassdoor employee reviews (informs sales-floor culture commentary)
    https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/PayKings-Reviews-E1928374.htm

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