Crypto acquiring,
without the surprise termination.

Three reasons: (1) the MCC codes used for crypto businesses (6051, 6211 depending on activity) are flagged high-risk by most acquirers, (2) card schemes report crypto merchants closely and a single high-chargeback month can flag the account, and (3) most acquirer underwriting teams lack the framework to read crypto businesses correctly — they apply e-commerce assumptions and panic when reality differs. IceTree only places crypto merchants with acquirers who have crypto-specific underwriting.

Standard market terms range from 10% over 180 days at the low end to 20% over 270 days for higher-velocity or higher-chargeback profiles. IceTree negotiates reserves based on your actual chargeback data and business model. Reserves should reduce as your account demonstrates stability — typically with milestones at 6, 12, and 18 months. Long-term reserves above 10% past month 18 are a sign the wrong acquirer was chosen.

Yes — this is one of the most common situations we resolve. Terminated accounts often appear on the MATCH list, which makes future applications harder but not impossible. We help you assemble the full context (chargeback history, volume profile, reason given for termination) and approach acquirers with documented crypto programs, who can underwrite past terminations rather than auto-reject them.

Yes — and the right acquirer depends on which one you are. Exchanges (especially with fiat on/off-ramp) need acquirers comfortable with high transaction velocity. OTC desks have low transaction count but high ticket size — different underwriting model. Web3 platforms with staking, NFTs, or token sales have additional regulatory scrutiny that affects which acquirers can place you. We assess your exact model before going to market.

Card scheme rules around crypto evolve frequently — VAMP thresholds, BIN-level chargeback monitoring, and MCC re-coding have all tightened over the past 18 months. Acquirers vary widely in how they interpret these. We track scheme updates monthly and only place you with acquirers whose internal policies are current, reducing the risk of mid-account surprises.

No formal minimum. However, acquirers themselves typically require £500K–£1M monthly processing minimums for crypto verticals. If you're pre-launch or sub-£500K monthly, we may recommend starting with an alternative payment method (open banking, virtual IBAN setup) to build volume before applying for card acquiring.