Debt collection agencies can take card payments from consumers when they are matched with a provider that accepts collections under the right merchant category code. Many mainstream processors refuse collection agencies, but specialist acquirers board compliant ones. What decides the outcome is following the card scheme rules for debt repayment, the consumer protection rules and a clean complaints record.
Visa introduced MCC 7322 for collection agencies in October 2022 and made it mandatory from 15 April 2023. Its rules bar repaying debt with credit or charge cards, bar debit cards for payday loan repayments, require a written agreement with the cardholder for time-barred debt and cover overdue receivables as well as traditional debt. Build your payment page to accept only the cards these rules allow.
Visa and Mastercard run debt repayment programs with lower interchange, but processor documentation describes them as open to financial institutions under MCC 6012 and similar codes, not to collection agencies under MCC 7322. Ask your provider which pricing applies to your merchant code before you build your fee model around it.
In June 2022 the CFPB said that fees for paying by a particular method break the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Regulation F unless the debt agreement or a law expressly allows them. The CFPB withdrew that advisory opinion on 12 May 2025, but the statute still applies and courts have split on the question. Take legal advice before you add any fee to a payment.
Regulation F, in force since 30 November 2021, sets rules for calls, emails, text messages and validation notices. Acquirers look at the payment page and the messages that lead to it, so links in emails and texts, opt-outs and the information shown before payment all need to follow the rule.
In the UK, collecting debts due under consumer credit or consumer hire agreements is a regulated activity and needs authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority. Acquirers check the FCA register for the right permission, and many US states require a collection agency licence as well.
Verify the debt before you ask for payment, show the creditor and the balance clearly, send receipts that name the creditor and the account, and handle disputes quickly. A payer who does not recognise a charge on a statement is a chargeback waiting to happen, so use a billing descriptor that names your agency.
Provider suitability differs from business to business: two companies in the same industry can receive opposite answers because of licence, market mix, ticket size or dispute history. We do not state that a provider accepts an industry unless that provider has confirmed it, and no one can guarantee approval.
Provider fit in Debt Collection depends on more than the industry itself: licence, markets, volume and dispute history all change the answer. Answer a few quick questions to start checking your own situation.
Industry, company country and estimated monthly volume, that is all we need to begin.
Yes, through an acquirer that accepts collection agencies under MCC 7322 and a payment setup that follows the card scheme rules for debt repayment. Approval and final terms are always the provider's decision.
It is the merchant category code for debt collection agencies. Visa introduced it in October 2022 and made it mandatory for collection agencies from 15 April 2023, together with rules on which cards can be used to repay debt.
Not under Visa's debt repayment rules, which bar repaying debt with credit or charge cards. Debit and prepaid cards can be accepted, except that debit cards may not be used for payday loan repayments.
It is risky. The CFPB said in 2022 that such fees break the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act unless the agreement or a law expressly allows them. It withdrew that opinion in May 2025, but the law itself has not changed and courts disagree. Get legal advice for your situation.
No. Stripe's restricted business list, updated September 2026, prohibits debt collection agencies. Collection agencies need a provider that accepts the category under the right merchant code.
Yes, when they collect debts under consumer credit or consumer hire agreements. That is a regulated activity, and the firm needs FCA authorisation with the right permission.
Payers may not recognise the agency name, may dispute that they owe the debt or may regret a payment made under pressure. Clear communication, a recognisable descriptor and quick handling of disputes keep the ratio down.
You describe your agency, licences, debt types, markets, volumes and processing history once in our online application. Your profile is matched with a payment provider whose policy accepts collection agencies like yours, and your account is prepared with that provider so you can start processing. It is free for merchants, and nothing is shared with a provider until you submit. Approval and final terms are always the provider's decision.
An iGaming payment solution is the combination of acquirer, PSP or gateway, local payment methods and payout rails that lets an operator take deposits and pay out winnings. Which of those will work for you is decided almost entirely by licensing and player geography: a provider that boards a Curaçao-licensed casino is rarely the same one that boards a UKGC-licensed brand, so the first step is matching your licence and markets to an acquirer's gambling programme.
Trading platforms are underwritten on regulatory status and client geography. A regulated brokerage in a recognised jurisdiction has a materially different provider pool than an offshore entity taking retail clients worldwide.
Crypto acceptance depends on what the customer receives. On-ramps selling digital assets, custodial exchanges and crypto-adjacent SaaS are underwritten as three different risk profiles.
Add your business essentials once. Your profile is compared against provider criteria, and nothing is sent until you submit your onboarding pack.
Check my payment optionsNothing is shared with a provider until you submit your onboarding pack. Approval is always the provider's decision.
