Payment Processor Comparisons · By Zach Schleien · · · 11 min read
Payline vs Easy Pay Direct vs Durango: Which High-Risk Account Fits Your Business?
All three underwrite hard-to-place businesses. They differ on published pricing, countries, routing and the categories they turn away.
Part of the series on Head to head comparisons. Side by side spec tables and verdicts for the processors people shortlist.
We may earn a commission from partner links on this page. Affiliate disclosure
Get matched with a high-risk merchant account in 60 seconds
Free. A few quick questions. No credit check to see your match.
How much do you process per month?
Three providers, one job: getting a hard-to-place business a merchant account that lasts. Payline, Easy Pay Direct and Durango Merchant Services all underwrite businesses that mainstream processors turn down.
The differences show up in the details. Only one publishes its markup. They accept businesses from different countries, and each draws its own lines on industries.
My verdict: start with Easy Pay Direct if routing across several merchant accounts is your priority. Choose Payline if you are a US or Canadian business that wants to see its markup and take payments both online and in person. Get a Durango quote if your category is clear of its decline list and you want a named account manager.
How do Payline, Easy Pay Direct and Durango compare?
| Payline | Easy Pay Direct | Durango Merchant Services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published pricing | Yes: interchange + 0.35% + $0.10 under $50K a month, down to interchange + 0.15% + $0.08 at $1M+ | No, by quote | No, interchange-plus by quote |
| Countries | US and Canada (Payline told us) | US, Canada and the EU (UK not available yet) | US, Canada, UK, EU, Puerto Rico, Panama, US and British Virgin Islands |
| Account approach | Looks for a fit across multiple processing partners | Dedicated merchant account with its own MID; says it works with 30+ banking partners | Individually underwritten high-risk and retail accounts |
| More than one account | Helps eligible, established businesses open more than one disclosed account | Multi-merchant gateway with load balancing and failover | Not among its published features |
| Payment types | In person, online, recurring, ACH, payment links, virtual terminal | Multi-merchant gateway and REST API | Credit card, ACH, MOTO and eCheck |
| Industry lines | Publishes the high-risk industries it serves | Says it underwrites 47+ industries | Shares a list of categories it declines |
| Chargeback tools | Chargeback alerts and fraud tools, depending on the provider | Chargeback monitoring, alerts and decline recovery | Free fraud reduction training, per Durango |
Easy Pay Direct and Durango price by quote, so there is no verified cheapest option among the three. Payline's published markup is a starting point to check a quote against, not a final price. And none of the three is an approval promise: underwriting decides.
Which one publishes its pricing?
Only Payline. It publishes its markup on top of interchange by monthly card volume:
| Monthly card volume | Payline's markup on top of interchange |
|---|---|
| Under $50K | Interchange + 0.35% + $0.10 |
| $50K to $100K | Interchange + 0.30% + $0.10 |
| $100K to $500K | Interchange + 0.25% + $0.10 |
| $500K to $1M | Interchange + 0.20% + $0.08 |
| $1M and up | Interchange + 0.15% + $0.08 |
Payline does not publish ACH pricing or high-risk pricing. For standard (low-risk) accounts, Payline told us there is no monthly account fee, no contract, no early termination fee and no gateway fee, and the chargeback fee is $25. Its own FAQ says high-risk accounts commonly cost more than standard ones.
Easy Pay Direct prices by quote and publishes no rates. Durango advertises interchange-plus pricing but sets the markup by quote. For any of the three, ask for the markup, monthly fees, reserve terms and contract length in writing.
Which provider accepts businesses outside the US?
This is the clearest split:
- Payline told us it onboards businesses located in the US or Canada. Owners who live abroad can apply for a US business with a US bank account and a physical US address; virtual addresses are not accepted, and no SSN or ITIN is needed.
- Easy Pay Direct names the US, Canada and the EU. Its UK page says UK accounts are not available yet.
- Durango Merchant Services names the US, Canada, the UK, all EU countries, Puerto Rico, Panama, the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
Being in a listed country does not mean your category or ownership structure will be approved.
Which industries does each one take or turn away?
| Business type | Payline | Easy Pay Direct | Durango |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutraceuticals and supplements | Listed | Listed | Offers accounts; declines negative-billing nutraceuticals without volume history |
| Subscription and continuity | Listed | Listed | Not on its decline list |
| Travel | Listed (travel and tourism) | Listed | Accepted, except airfare |
| Adult content | Listed (legal, compliant adult content); not adult AI or creator platforms | Offers dedicated adult accounts | Declines Adult AI |
| Dropshipping | Listed | Underwrites ecommerce merchant accounts | Declines drop shipping |
| Telemedicine | Listed | Listed | Declines online prescription medicine (retail pharmacies ok) |
| MLM | Listed (compliant MLM and direct sales) | Listed | Declines startup MLM |
| CBD | Not on its site; Payline told us it can onboard it | Listed | Declines cannabis or marijuana related businesses |
| Credit repair | Not on its site; Payline told us it can onboard it | Listed | Declines startup credit repair |
"Listed" means the provider names the category. It is not an approval promise.
Which one is best if you need backup processing?
Easy Pay Direct. Its multi-merchant gateway balances volume and fails over across multiple merchant accounts, and it offers chargeback monitoring, alerts and decline recovery. If one account has a problem, your sales have another path.
Payline can help eligible, established businesses set up more than one fully disclosed account, but it notes that a second account is not automatic routing. You still decide what runs where.
Durango's published strengths are elsewhere: individual underwriting, a dedicated account manager and free fraud reduction training.
Which one fits a business that sells in person and online?
Payline. It offers terminals, a mobile reader and POS systems alongside online checkout, payment links, a virtual terminal, recurring billing and ACH. It lists device prices, such as a basic countertop terminal at $10 a month and a handheld smart terminal at $40 a month, each over 24 months.
Durango also offers retail merchant accounts and MOTO processing. Easy Pay Direct's published strengths are its gateway, routing and integrations.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Our pick |
|---|---|
| You need routing and failover across merchant accounts | Easy Pay Direct |
| You sell CBD or run a credit repair business | Easy Pay Direct |
| You are in Canada | Easy Pay Direct, Payline or Durango |
| You are in the EU | Easy Pay Direct or Durango |
| You are in the UK, Puerto Rico, Panama or the Virgin Islands | Durango Merchant Services |
| You are a US or Canadian business that wants published markups | Payline |
| You are a brand-new business with no processing history | Payline |
| You sell in person and online and want one US provider | Payline |
| You dropship in the US | Payline or Easy Pay Direct (Durango declines drop shipping) |
| You want a named account manager and your category is off Durango's decline list | Durango Merchant Services |
If you can, apply to two of the three. Different banks decide differently, and two offers let you compare reserves, limits and fees side by side.
Ready to apply? Start with Payline, Easy Pay Direct or Durango Merchant Services. Not sure which fits? Take our free matching quiz, or read our Payline review first.
Verified November 2026. Sources: Payline pricing, high-risk and in-person payments pages, checked November 7, 2026, plus Payline's written answers on countries and industries, November 8, 2026; Easy Pay Direct, checked September 25, 2026; Durango, checked September 25, 2026 (country list checked October 3, 2026). Confirm current terms in your own agreement.
Still comparing? Get your match in 60 seconds
Free. A few quick questions. No credit check to see your match.
How much do you process per month?
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper: Payline, Easy Pay Direct or Durango?
There is no verified answer. Payline publishes its markup, starting at interchange + 0.35% + $0.10 under $50K a month, but Easy Pay Direct and Durango price by quote. Compare written quotes using the same monthly volume and average sale.
Which one accepts businesses outside the US?
Easy Pay Direct names the US, Canada and the EU. Durango names the US, Canada, the UK, the EU, Puerto Rico, Panama, the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Payline told us it onboards businesses in the US and Canada, and that Puerto Rico does not count as the US.
Does Durango accept dropshipping?
No. Durango's decline list includes drop shipping. Payline lists dropshipping among the high-risk industries it serves, and Easy Pay Direct underwrites ecommerce merchant accounts.
Which one offers multi-account routing?
Easy Pay Direct. It runs a multi-merchant gateway with load balancing and failover across multiple merchant accounts. Payline can help eligible businesses open more than one disclosed account, but says a second account is not automatic routing.
Do any of them guarantee approval?
No. Payline says it cannot guarantee approval, and all three underwrite each business before it processes. Prepare statements, chargeback history and a clear description of what you sell.
Can I apply to more than one?
Yes. Applying to two providers lets you compare offers, and a decline from one does not mean the next will say no. Disclose any past account closures accurately on every application.