Durango Merchant Services
Durango Merchant Services is a bootstrapped payment processing ISO specializing in high-risk merchant accounts (supplements, credit repair, fantasy sports, travel) and merchant recovery from Stripe/Shopify/Square/PayPal. Founded 1997, it operates the proprietary Durango Pay Gateway serving 35,000+ merchants globally via Fifth Third Bank sponsorship.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersDurango, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Durango Merchant Services does
Durango Merchant Services, LLC is a privately held payment processing ISO founded in 1997 and headquartered in Durango, Colorado. The company operates as a registered Independent Sales Organization for Fifth Third Bank, N.A. (Cincinnati, OH), enabling it to broker merchant accounts across multiple sponsor banks worldwide. Durango specializes in high-risk merchant categories — including supplements, credit repair, fantasy sports, travel, nutraceuticals, alcohol, and telemedicine — that traditional processors decline or underwrite unfavorably. The firm also serves mainstream merchants through Level 2/3 B2B/B2G processing, large-ticket transactions, high-volume accounts ($100K+/month), and merchant recovery services for accounts terminated by Stripe, Shopify, Square, or PayPal.
The company's core technology is the proprietary Durango Pay Gateway, a PCI DSS compliant payment processing platform supporting ecommerce, MOTO, retail, mobile, and virtual terminal transactions. The gateway features Level 2/3 data processing, multi-currency support, integration with 150+ shopping carts (BigCommerce, Shopify, Adobe Commerce, WooCommerce, etc.), and a suite of fraud/chargeback tools including the iSpyFraud ML-based fraud scrubbing utility, Velocity Checks, 3D Secure 2.0, Customer Vault tokenization, CertifyPCI, and an Advanced Transaction Routing Interface (ATRI). An AI-powered fraud detection layer analyzes transactions in real time using machine learning, NLP-driven text scanning, and predictive risk scoring.
Durango generates revenue through a combination of transaction-based fees (interchange-plus pricing with discount rates of 1.95%-4.95% plus $0.15-$0.25 authorization), monthly gateway subscriptions ($15-$60 depending on feature tier), chargeback/fraud solution subscriptions, professional consulting for high-risk underwriting, and an affiliate referral program. Distribution is primarily sales-led via direct phone/online application with dedicated lifetime account managers, supplemented by affiliate partners and inbound flow from review platforms (Merchant Maverick, Fit Small Business, NerdWallet, BBB). The company serves merchants across the United States, Canada, EU, UK, Panama, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and British Virgin Islands, with 35,000+ cumulative clients negotiated across its history and an active workforce of 1-10 employees.
Durango Merchant Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Durango Merchant Services
- Legal name
- Durango Merchant Services, LLC
- Website
- https://durangomerchantservices.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Durango Merchant Services is a bootstrapped payment processing ISO specializing in high-risk merchant accounts (supplements, credit repair, fantasy sports, travel) and merchant recovery from Stripe/Shopify/Square/PayPal. Founded 1997, it operates the proprietary Durango Pay Gateway serving 35,000+ merchants globally via Fifth Third Bank sponsorship.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Durango Merchant Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management) (FSAMABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), Merchant & Payment Facilitator (PayFac) Underwriting / KYB (FSAMAMAJ), Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers) (FSADAIAB)
Keywords
Where Durango Merchant Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durango
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Durango Merchant Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Services: Transaction-based revenue from credit card processing, ACH e-check processing, and cryptocurrency payments. Interchange-plus pricing model with transparent fees.
- Gateway Services: Monthly fees for access to proprietary payment gateway with fraud protection and chargeback management tools.
- Chargeback & Fraud Solutions: Additional services for fraud prevention, chargeback alerts, analytics, and dispute resolution.
- Merchant Account Consulting: Expert guidance and account management services for securing high-risk merchant accounts.
- Affiliate Program: Referral revenue from affiliates who bring new merchant clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Merchant Processing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Authorization Fees |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Gateway Fees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Large Ticket Processing |
| Other | Monthly | Reserve Requirements |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Level 2 Credit Card Processing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Durango Merchant Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Durango Merchant Services is a broker for multiple banks worldwide, placing and managing merchant accounts for high-risk, eCommerce, MoTo, and large-volume businesses. The firm operates the proprietary Durango Pay Gateway supporting omnichannel payment acceptance, Level 2/3 data processing, multi-currency settlements, and fraud/chargeback tooling, and serves as a recovery destination for merchants terminated by Stripe, Shopify, Square, or PayPal. It also offers ACH e-check and cryptocurrency processing under interchange-plus pricing.
Product overview
Durango Merchant Services operates as a unified payment processing ecosystem anchored by the proprietary Durango Pay Gateway platform. The core offering includes credit card processing for both high-risk and mainstream merchants, supplemented by specialized add-on modules for Level 2 and Level 3 processing (B2B/B2G transactions), large ticket processing (high-value single transactions), and high-volume processing ($100K+/month merchants). The platform also offers chargeback and fraud prevention tools (including velocity checks, 3D Secure 2.0, and AI-powered fraud detection), ACH e-check processing, cryptocurrency processing, and multi-currency support for international merchants. All services include dedicated account management, and the company provides merchant recovery services for businesses displaced by major processors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Durango Pay Gateway Proprietary omnichannel payment gateway supporting ecommerce, MOTO, retail, mobile, and virtual terminal payments, featuring Level 2/3 data processing, multi-currency support, fraud detection tools (iSpyFraud, Velocity Checks, Customer Vault), 3D Secure 2.0, ATRI transaction routing, and integration with 150+ shopping carts.
- Credit Card Processing Credit card payment processing services for high-risk and low-risk merchants with transparent interchange-plus pricing, dedicated account managers, and support for Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Amex, Diners Club, China UnionPay, and JCB.
- Level 2 Credit Card Processing
Quantifiable outcome
- Save up to 40% on interchange rates for qualifying high-volume merchants
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Durango Merchant Services
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Durango Merchant Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability6 records
Feature10 records
Durango Merchant Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Fifth Third Bank, N.A.coreDurango Merchant Services, LLC is a registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) for Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Cincinnati, OH. This banking partnership enables them to offer merchant account services and process credit card transactions.
- Authorize.NetcoreIntegrated payment gateway relationship. Durango works with and supports merchants using Authorize.Net payment gateway, offering alternatives and migration support for existing Authorize.Net merchants.
- NMI Payment GatewaycoreGateway processor relationship providing NMI (Network Merchants Inc.) integration support for merchants who prefer or already use NMI payment gateway.
- FluidpaycoreGateway processor relationship providing Fluidpay integration. Fluidpay is cited alongside Durango Gateway and Velocity Checks as a supported platform for fraud prevention.
- BigCommercecore150+ shopping cart integrations including BigCommerce for seamless e-commerce checkout with Durango's payment gateway.
- ShopifycoreMajor shopping cart integration. Also offers Shopify Payments alternative services for merchants shut down by Shopify.
- Adobe Commerce (Magento)coreIntegration with Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento) platform for enterprise e-commerce merchants.
- 150+ Shopping Cart PlatformscoreTurnkey integrations with 3dcart, Zen Cart, Volusion, OpenCart, PrestaShop, Zoho, WooCommerce, Salesforce, and other shopping cart platforms enabling seamless payment processing.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Durango Merchant Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Easy Pay Direct: High-risk merchant services provider focused on hard-to-place verticals with interchange-plus pricing and dedicated account management - a near-mirror of Durango's GTM and pricing model.
- PaymentCloud: High-risk merchant account specialist offering credit card processing, ACH, and chargeback tools to underserved verticals. Directly competes with Durango in supplements, credit repair, travel, and adult-adjacent categories.
- Host Merchant Services: ISO/merchant acquirer offering interchange-plus pricing, multiple gateway integrations, and high-volume merchant programs. Overlaps with Durango's core SMB and mid-market payment processing offering.
- High Risk Pay: Specialized high-risk merchant account provider serving CBD, supplements, adult, and travel verticals with chargeback mitigation - directly competitive on Durango's primary segment.
Broad incumbents
- Stripe: Largest digital payments platform; Durango explicitly markets to merchants whose Stripe accounts have been closed or frozen, making Stripe both the primary alternative and the top source of recovery demand.
- Fiserv (First Data / Clover): Top-tier merchant acquirer and gateway provider whose Clover and First Data platforms serve the SMB and enterprise segments Durango targets, though at much broader scale and without a high-risk specialization.
- Square (Block): Mass-market payment processor whose account terminations feed Durango's merchant-recovery funnel, and which Durango explicitly positions against as an alternative for displaced SMBs.
- Paysafe: Specialty payments platform with high-risk verticals (gaming, forex, adult), integrated processing/gateway, and chargeback tools - comparable scope and verticals to Durango's ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Stax: Subscription-based payments platform targeting SMBs with interchange-plus pricing; overlaps with Durango's transparent-pricing and high-volume merchant positioning, though without the high-risk specialization.
- Fattmerchant (Stax): SMB-focused payment processor offering interchange-plus pricing and dedicated support; positioned similarly to Durango's transparent, high-touch model for non-high-risk merchants.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Durango Merchant Services social profiles
Digital presenceDurango Merchant Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Durango Merchant Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Durango Merchant Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Durango Merchant Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Durango Merchant Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Durango Merchant Services
What does Durango Merchant Services do?
Durango Merchant Services is a broker for multiple banks worldwide, placing and managing merchant accounts for high-risk, eCommerce, MoTo, and large-volume businesses. The firm operates the proprietary Durango Pay Gateway supporting omnichannel payment acceptance, Level 2/3 data processing, multi-currency settlements, and fraud/chargeback tooling, and serves as a recovery destination for merchants terminated by Stripe, Shopify, Square, or PayPal. It also offers ACH e-check and cryptocurrency processing under interchange-plus pricing.
Is Durango Merchant Services a public or private company?
Durango Merchant Services is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Durango Merchant Services founded?
Durango Merchant Services was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Durango Merchant Services based?
Durango Merchant Services is headquartered in Durango, United States, in the North America region.
How does Durango Merchant Services make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Payment Processing Services are the primary driver. The others are gateway Services, chargeback & Fraud Solutions, merchant Account Consulting and affiliate Program.
Who are Durango Merchant Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Easy Pay Direct, PaymentCloud, Host Merchant Services and High Risk Pay. Broad incumbents are Stripe, Fiserv (First Data / Clover), Square (Block) and Paysafe. Emerging players are Stax and Fattmerchant (Stax).
Does Durango Merchant Services have an API?
Yes. Durango Pay Gateway offers a JSON API for merchants to integrate payment processing into their systems. Features include Three-Step Redirect API to reduce PCI footprint, customizable API responses, and integration capabilities for software and hardware. The gateway supports tokenization, transaction routing, and recurring billing through API access. Developer documentation is at durangomerchantservices.com/gateway-integration-instructions.
What industry is Durango Merchant Services in?
Durango Merchant Services's product category is Payment Processing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAF, Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management), with a secondary code of FSAMACAA, Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout).