Refer a merchant, earn on the placement
The Gray Merchants referral partner program pays you to introduce merchants who need a high-risk merchant account. If you work with business owners who get frozen or declined by mainstream processors, introduce them with a simple tracking link. We pre-screen, package, and place the account — and you earn on every successful placement. No fees, no licensing, no operational burden.
What the high-risk merchant referral program is
The Gray Merchants referral program pays professionals for introducing merchants who need a high-risk merchant account. You do not need any payments experience and you never touch underwriting. You already meet the right businesses in the course of your normal work — this simply turns those introductions into income.
Every day, business owners get their accounts frozen, offboarded, or declined because their industry is labeled too risky for a mainstream processor. If you build their websites, file their taxes, form their companies, or run the platform they sell on, you are the person they turn to when payments break. Instead of watching that client stall, you hand them a specialist who can actually place the account — and you earn for the introduction. The merchant can even get approved on their own with a fast, free application while the placement is credited to you.
We place accounts through 70+ banking and acquirer relationships across 50+ high-risk industries, with a 99% approval rate for qualified applications, $0 setup, and a decision in 24 to 48 hours. Every merchant also gets built-in chargeback defense and ACH processing, so the accounts you introduce tend to stay placed. If you would rather sell merchant services actively and earn ongoing residuals, see the ISO agent program instead.
Professionals who meet merchants that get frozen
You do not need to know payments — you just need clients who do business in industries mainstream processors avoid. If any of these describe you, the referral program fits.
SaaS platforms
Software serving merchants in verticals that mainstream processors avoid. When your users get declined or frozen, a referral keeps them on your platform and paying.
Web & SEO agencies
You build sites and funnels for businesses that then cannot take a card. Sending them to a high-risk specialist closes the last gap between traffic and revenue.
Attorneys & CPAs
You advise founders across regulated and high-risk industries. When a client is offboarded by their bank, a warm introduction solves an urgent, expensive problem.
Business-formation firms
You spin up new LLCs and corporations every week — many in verticals that need specialized underwriting from day one, not a decline three weeks later.
From introduction to payout
Introduce the merchant
Share your secure tracking link or hand off the lead. Any merchant who comes through the link is attributed to you automatically — no integration, no code, nothing to install.
We pre-screen, package, and place
We take over completely: pre-screen the business, assemble the banking packet, and place the account across our 70+ banking and acquirer relationships. You carry zero operational load.
Earn on the placement
Once the account is approved and live, you earn on the successful placement. Everything settles monthly with clear, itemized statements you can reconcile at a glance.
Built so the introduction is all you do
No fees to join
No registration, licensing, or setup fee. You keep your business exactly as it is and simply add an earning path when a client needs a high-risk account.
Simple, secure tracking link
One link, no integration or engineering. Share it directly or place it on a co-branded landing page, and every introduction is attributed to you automatically.
Co-branded landing pages
Present the offer under your own brand. Co-branded pages let you introduce merchants without ever looking like you handed them off to a stranger.
We handle underwriting and placement
Pre-screening, the banking packet, and acquirer placement are all on us. You make the introduction; we run the operational work end to end.
Earn on every placement
You earn on each successful placement, settled monthly with transparent statements. Terms are agreed with you directly, tailored to how you work.
Fast, high approval merchants
The merchants you send get a decision in 24 to 48 hours with a 99% approval rate for qualified applications and $0 setup — so introductions turn into placements quickly.
Terms agreed with you directly
We do not force referral partners onto a fixed schedule. Your commission terms are agreed with you directly when you join and tailored to the volume and industries you work in, then settled monthly with transparent, itemized statements. You always see what was introduced, what placed, and what you earned.
Want to understand why merchants stay with us once you send them — and why that protects your placements? Read why merchants choose Gray Merchants, or compare both partner programs side by side.
Referral program FAQ
Who is the referral program for?
It is for professionals who already meet business owners that get frozen or declined by mainstream processors — SaaS platforms, web and SEO agencies, attorneys, CPAs, and business-formation firms. You do not need any payments background. If a client of yours sells in a high-risk vertical or has had a merchant account shut down, they are exactly who we help. If you actively sell merchant services yourself, the ISO agent program is a better fit.
How much does it cost to join?
Nothing. There is no registration, licensing, or setup fee to become a referral partner. The only requirement to receive payouts is a valid tax form (W-9 or W-8BEN). You keep your normal business — this simply adds an earning path when a client needs a high-risk merchant account you cannot place yourself.
How does the tracking link work?
When you join, you get a simple, secure tracking link — no integration, no code, nothing to install. Share it with a merchant or drop it on a co-branded landing page, and any introduction that comes through it is attributed to you automatically. You can watch introductions and placements settle in transparent monthly statements.
Do I have to handle the underwriting or paperwork?
No. Once you introduce the merchant, we take over completely — we pre-screen the business, assemble the banking packet, and place the account across our 70+ banking and acquirer relationships. You carry zero operational burden. The merchant gets a decision in 24 to 48 hours with a 99% approval rate for qualified applications and $0 setup, and you look good for making the introduction.
How and when do referral partners get paid?
Referral partners earn on each successful placement, settled monthly with clear, itemized statements so you always see what was introduced, what placed, and what you earned. Your exact commission terms are agreed with you directly when you join — we tailor them to the volume and industries you work in rather than forcing a fixed schedule.
What kinds of merchants should I refer?
Any business that has been declined, frozen, offboarded, or told it is "too high risk" for a normal processor. That includes CBD and hemp, nutraceuticals, firearms, subscription and recurring billing, debt relief, travel, tech support, and dozens of other verticals across 50+ industries. If you are unsure whether a merchant qualifies, send them our way — pre-screening is part of what we handle.
Can I only refer high-risk merchants, or low-risk businesses too?
Both. High-risk merchant accounts are our specialty, but Gray Merchants serves every risk level — including low-risk retail, e-commerce, and service businesses that simply want better payment processing, ACH, or a more reliable gateway. Any merchant who accepts cards is a valid introduction, and each successful placement earns the same way, so you do not have to pre-qualify anyone yourself.