What CERF does

CERF SAS is a Paris-registered payment solutions provider founded in 2022 that delivers dedicated high-risk merchant accounts and a proprietary payment gateway to businesses declined or terminated by mainstream processors. The company targets verticals where Stripe, PayPal, and Square routinely reject applications—nutraceuticals and supplements, CBD and hemp, research peptides, online gaming (MCC 7995), forex and CFD trading (MCC 6211), subscription and continuity billing, and restricted-product ecommerce. Each merchant receives a dedicated acquiring relationship and Merchant ID rather than an aggregated PayFac sub-account, with manual industry-specific underwriting conducted before approval rather than automated approve-and-review.

The core technology is a proprietary payment gateway supporting tokenized recurring billing, real-time fraud scoring, 3D Secure authentication, automated retry logic, dunning management, and failed-payment recovery. The gateway integrates natively with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, with MT4/MT5 connectivity for forex brokers and Chargebee for subscription management. CERF routes merchants through a network of 30+ acquiring banks across the EU, UK, US, and LATAM, providing geographic and policy redundancy. Settlement options include daily/weekly fiat payouts (T+1) and cryptocurrency settlement (USDT, BTC, ETH). Pre-dispute alert integration with Ethoca and Verifi enables proactive chargeback interception.

CERF's business model is transaction-fee based, with processing rates of 2.5%–6% per transaction depending on industry, volume, chargeback history, and geographic exposure. Revenue is supplemented by monthly account fees and chargeback management fees disclosed during underwriting. The standard high-risk rolling reserve (5%–10% held for 90–180 days) functions as a chargeback buffer for the acquiring banks rather than as direct CERF revenue. The go-to-market is sales-led direct-to-merchant via website contact form, email, and Telegram/WhatsApp, with a dedicated account manager assigned to every merchant from day one. The company claims 500+ active merchants and an average processing relationship of 2+ years, but discloses no revenue, no external funding, and a headcount of 1–10 employees.

Name

CERF

Legal name

CERF SAS

Website

https://thecerf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CERF SAS, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Paris, provides dedicated high-risk merchant accounts and a proprietary payment gateway to nutraceuticals, CBD, online gaming, forex, subscription, and ecommerce merchants rejected by mainstream processors, routing transactions through 30+ acquiring banks across the EU, UK, US, and LATAM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

High-risk Payment Processing

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

akta.pro primary industry

Case Management, Investigations & SAR/STR Filing (FSAMAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Risk, Underwriting & Portfolio Monitoring (FSAMALAH), Card & Alternative Payment Processing (PSPs, Acquirers, Aggregators) (MPAEALAA)

Keywords

• High risk payment processing
• Merchant account services
• Payment gateway solutions
• Credit card processing
• Subscription billing processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Transaction/Processing Fees: CERF charges transaction processing fees as a percentage of each transaction processed through its merchant accounts. Processing rates vary by industry risk profile and volume. High-risk processing rates are higher than standard retail rates, reflecting elevated chargeback exposure and underwriting complexity. Rates typically range from 2.5% to 6% per transaction depending on product category, monthly volume, chargeback history, and geographic exposure.
2. Rolling Reserve: A portion of each transaction (typically 5–10%) is held as a rolling reserve by the acquiring bank for 90–180 days as a chargeback buffer. Rolling reserves are structured individually for each merchant based on volume tier, industry risk profile, and processing history. This is standard across high-risk processing and is a key revenue component for the acquiring banks in CERF's network.
3. Monthly Account and Chargeback Fees: Monthly account fees and chargeback management fees may apply in addition to transaction rates. These are disclosed during the underwriting process. Full fee structure (processing rate, reserve percentage, holding period, monthly fees, chargeback fees, and setup fees) is disclosed in writing before signing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CERF provides dedicated high-risk merchant accounts and a proprietary payment gateway for businesses that mainstream payment processors decline or terminate, including nutraceuticals, CBD, forex, online gaming, subscription billing, peptide, telemedicine, kratom, and other restricted verticals. Each merchant receives a dedicated Merchant ID and direct acquiring relationship with industry-specific underwriting, supported by a network of 30+ acquiring banks across Europe, the UK, North America, and LATAM. Pricing is fully disclosed in writing before signing, with transaction fees typically 2.5-6% per transaction depending on industry, volume, chargeback history, and geography.

Product overview

CERF is a payment solutions provider specializing in high-risk merchant accounts and payment gateways. The core offering consists of dedicated merchant accounts underwritten specifically for high-risk industries paired with a proprietary payment gateway. The product portfolio includes industry-specific merchant accounts for nutraceuticals, CBD, online gaming, forex trading, e-commerce, subscription billing, and research peptides. Each merchant receives a dedicated Merchant ID and acquiring relationship, differentiating from aggregated PayFac models. The payment gateway integrates with major ecommerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento) and supports recurring billing, fraud scoring, and cryptocurrency settlement alongside fiat options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High-Risk Merchant Account (core) Dedicated high-risk merchant account with a dedicated Merchant ID and direct acquiring relationship underwritten specifically for the merchant's industry vertical, priced at 2.5-6% per transaction depending on industry, volume, chargeback history, and geography.
• High-Risk Payment Gateway Proprietary PCI-compliant payment gateway supporting tokenized recurring billing, real-time fraud scoring, 3D Secure authentication, automated retry logic, dunning management, and failed-payment recovery. Accepts major cards, ACH, SEPA, and crypto (USDT, BTC, ETH), with 1-click checkout and wallet payments.
• Nutraceuticals Merchant Account Specialist merchant account for nutraceuticals and supplement merchants, with vertical-specific underwriting that accounts for ingredient review and label verification. Supports tokenized recurring billing and Ethoca/Verifi pre-dispute alerts to reduce chargeback exposure.
• CBD Merchant Account Dedicated merchant account for CBD and hemp merchants, with per-SKU processing channels for ingestible versus topical products underwritten for the specific category risk.
• Forex Merchant Account Specialist merchant account for retail forex and CFD brokers, with direct MT4/MT5 platform integration, multi-currency settlement in 12+ currencies, and crypto acceptance (USDT, BTC, ETH) for client deposits.
• Online Gaming Merchant Account Dedicated merchant account for online gaming operators (sports betting, casino, poker, skill-based gaming), with industry-specific underwriting tailored to the operator's regulatory license and dedicated Merchant ID per operator.
• Subscription Billing Merchant Account Merchant account for SaaS, digital content, and subscription commerce businesses, with tokenized recurring billing, automated retry logic, dunning management, and failed-payment recovery to reduce involuntary churn.
• E-commerce Merchant Account Dedicated high-risk merchant account for online ecommerce merchants selling restricted, high-ticket, or high-dispute products, with direct API gateway integration for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and custom checkout platforms.
• Peptide Merchant Account Dedicated merchant account for peptide merchants operating in a restricted product category that mainstream processors refuse to serve.
• Telemedicine Merchant Account Specialist merchant account for telemedicine and telehealth providers requiring dedicated high-risk processing for online consultations and digital health services.
• Kratom Payment Processing Dedicated merchant account for kratom merchants operating in a restricted botanical product category that mainstream payment processors refuse to serve.

Quantifiable outcome

• Merchants approved and processing within 3–5 business days from initial application
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UK Acquiring BankscoreOthersCERF works with a network of acquiring banks in the UK for merchant card processing and settlement. UK banking relationships enable FCA-regulated forex brokers, gaming operators, and other high-risk businesses to process card payments.
• EU Acquiring BankscoreOthersCERF works with acquiring banks across the European Union for merchant card processing, SEPA settlement, and multi-currency acquiring. European acquiring supports supplement brands meeting EFSA compliance standards and CBD merchants operating within EU regulatory frameworks.
• US Acquiring BankscoreOthersCERF works with acquiring banks in the United States for merchant card processing and settlement. US banking relationships support high-risk merchants including nutraceuticals, CBD, and subscription businesses with US customer bases. UIGEA compliance review is conducted for US-facing gaming operators.
• LATAM Acquiring BankscoreOthersCERF works with acquiring banks in Latin America for merchant card processing. LATAM banking relationships are particularly important for international forex brokers, gaming operators, and ecommerce businesses targeting Latin American markets where local acquiring partnerships are essential for acceptable approval rates.
• Ethoca and VerificoreTechnology or IntegrationCERF integrates with Ethoca and Verifi pre-dispute alert systems as part of all merchant accounts. These tools intercept disputes before they become formal chargebacks, allowing merchants to issue refunds proactively and keep chargeback ratios below card network thresholds.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Mainstream payments incumbent that systematically declines the high-risk categories CERF serves. Cited by CERF as the benchmark rejection point driving merchant demand, making it the defining reference competitor.
• PayPal: Mainstream payments incumbent that terminates high-risk merchant accounts; referenced by CERF as one of the primary sources of merchants seeking a stable alternative for restricted verticals.

Direct peers

• Host Merchant Services: Payment processor with a high-risk division offering merchant accounts for CBD, supplements, and subscription businesses. Comparable in ISO model and category-specific underwriting.
• Maverick Payments: US-based high-risk payment processor with multi-bank acquiring relationships and dedicated account management. Directly comparable business model with similar multi-acquirer routing strategy.
• Easy Pay Direct: High-risk merchant account provider focused on nutraceuticals, supplements, and continuity-subscription programs. Closely comparable in vertical specialization and recurring billing tooling.
• PaymentCloud: High-risk payment processor offering merchant accounts across nutraceuticals, CBD, subscription, adult, and travel. Closely comparable in category coverage, multi-acquirer routing, and dedicated account management model.
• HighRiskPay.com: Specialized high-risk merchant account provider serving ecommerce, subscription, adult, and CBD merchants. Comparable in target customer profile and emphasis on dedicated MIDs versus PayFac sub-accounts.
• PayKings: High-risk payment processor serving CBD, nutraceutical, firearms, and adult merchants with multi-acquirer routing. Comparable in target verticals and rejection-by-mainstream positioning.
• ECS Worldwide: International high-risk processor with strong presence in forex, gaming, and online trading verticals (MCC 7995 and 6211). Directly comparable to CERF's iGaming and Forex merchant account products.
• Durango Merchant Services: Long-standing US-based high-risk merchant account provider focused on nutraceuticals, CBD, firearms, and other rejected-by-mainstream categories. Directly comparable in vertical specialization, underwriting approach, and target merchant profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecerf

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CERF