A sweepstakes merchant account is a specialized payment processing account that acquiring banks issue to dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, social sweepstakes gaming studios, consumer prize-promotion companies, instant-win and scratch-game platforms, online giveaway operators, and white-label sweepstakes software vendors, designed to handle the elevated chargeback exposure, buyer's-remorse and friendly-fraud disputes, AMOE structural complexity, and prize-redemption oversight that aggregators like Stripe, Square, and PayPal refuse to underwrite. The account permits card-not-present gold-coin and prize-entry purchases under MCC 7993 (video amusement / game-of-chance software) and MCC 5816 (digital goods / game currency) — deliberately not MCC 7995, because a legitimate no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes is legally distinct from gambling — and it operates under tailored underwriting terms that include AMOE legal-opinion review, official-rules verification, Florida/New York registration and bonding validation, excluded-state geofencing, age and identity verification, segregated prize-pool trust accounting, push-to-card prize redemption, and discount rates between 4.95% and 7.5%.
Merchant Account for Sweepstakes Business [Instant Approval]
Opening a merchant account for a sweepstakes business through 2Accept connects dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, social sweepstakes gaming studios, consumer prize-promotion companies, instant-win and scratch-game platforms, online giveaway operators, and white-label sweepstakes software vendors to acquiring banks that explicitly underwrite MCC 7993 (video amusement / game-of-chance software) and MCC 5816 (digital goods / game currency) for properly structured no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes — without the freezes, rolling holds, and sudden terminations that aggregators like Stripe, Square, and PayPal issue the moment they see sweeps-coin redemptions, gold-coin package sales, or any merchant descriptor referencing the words “sweeps,” “coins,” or “prize.”
The process of opening a sweepstakes merchant account with 2Accept takes four steps. First, complete the online application with your EIN, Articles of Incorporation, your written AMOE legal opinion supporting the no-purchase-necessary alternative-method-of-entry framework with a state-by-state legality map, your official rules, your Florida and New York sweepstakes registration and surety-bond evidence (if prize pools exceed the state thresholds), your geofencing configuration for excluded states (typically WA, MI, ID, MT, NV), your age-and-identity verification provider (IDology, Jumio, LexisNexis), last three months of bank and processing statements, and your KYC procedure on prize redemption. Second, a dedicated sweepstakes underwriter reviews your AMOE structure, equal-dignity free-entry path, prize-value-to-registration mapping, and dispute history within one business hour. Third, you receive your MID(s) and integrate via REST API into your dual-currency back office, Unity/iOS/Android SDK for gold-coin top-ups, or Shopify/WooCommerce plugin for consumer-sweepstakes storefronts after signing the merchant processing agreement. Fourth, you go live in 48 hours to 10 business days with chargeback alerts, 3DS 2.0, AMOE structural evidence capture, geofence pass-record logging, and push-to-card prize redemption built into the account.
Rates for a sweepstakes merchant account on 2Accept start around 4.95% for established social-sweepstakes studios with mature KYC, a clean AMOE structure, and 18+ age gating, and run higher for dual-currency sweepstakes casinos in early AMOE rollout, operators with prior aggregator terminations, and offshore-placed corridors, with custom interchange-plus pricing for high-volume operators processing above $500K monthly in gold-coin sales. Pricing depends on monthly volume, average gold-coin ticket size, chargeback ratio, AMOE structural maturity, prize-pool size and the state registration/bonding it triggers, geofencing performance across excluded states, KYC tier mix on prize redemption, and whether your account requires a domestic acquirer or offshore acquiring with multi-currency settlement.
Apply for a merchant account
Free underwriting review. No application fee.
Everything 2Accept handles for sweepstakes merchants
Every dimension below covers what sweepstakes operators typically evaluate when choosing a card-acquiring partner for gold-coin package sales, sweeps-coin redemptions, and prize-promotion funding. 2Accept's sweepstakes underwriting desk approves the platform models, dual-currency structures, AMOE configurations, integrations, and prize-funding rails listed here without the freezes and sudden MID terminations that aggregators issue the moment they see sweepstakes redemptions or any merchant descriptor referencing the words "sweeps," "coins," or "prize."
Sweepstakes products covered by 2Accept
2Accept underwrites the full spectrum of sweepstakes SKUs — from dual-currency sweepstakes casinos selling gold-coin packages bundled with free sweeps-coin promotional credits redeemable for cash prizes under an alternative-method-of-entry (AMOE) framework, to social sweepstakes gaming studios, consumer sweepstakes and prize-promotion campaigns, instant-win and scratch-card platforms, online giveaway and raffle-style promotions structured as legal sweepstakes, and white-label sweepstakes software vendors selling the underlying platform. Each product maps to a specific MCC profile (typically MCC 7993 for video amusement / game-of-chance software, MCC 5816 for digital goods and game-currency purchases, and deliberately NOT MCC 7995 because a properly structured no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes is legally distinct from gambling) and a dedicated MID structure tuned to that product's chargeback and AMOE-structural profile.
Product positioning, the dual-currency design (purchasable gold coins for play vs. promotional sweeps coins for prizes), the free alternative method of entry, the official rules, prize-value thresholds that trigger state registration and bonding (Florida, New York, Rhode Island), age gating (18+ or 21+), and the state-by-state geofencing map all get reviewed during onboarding because they determine whether the operation qualifies as a legitimate AMOE sweepstakes under MCC 7993 rather than as unlicensed gambling under MCC 7995.
Approved Sweepstakes Product Categories
- Dual-Currency Sweepstakes Casino (Gold + Sweeps Coins)MCC 7993 (AMOE structure)
- Gold-Coin Package Sales (Play Currency)MCC 7993 / 5816
- Sweeps-Coin Cash Prize RedemptionPush-to-card / ACH payout
- Consumer Sweepstakes & Prize PromotionsMCC 7993 / 5969
- Instant-Win, Scratch & Reveal GamesMCC 7993 (no MCC 7995)
- Sweepstakes Software / White-Label PlatformMCC 7372 / 5816
High risk processing rates, published up front
Every high risk merchant account is priced by risk tier. Your vertical, volume, and chargeback ratio determine which tier underwrites you. Rates are average and may vary depending on individual circumstances and risk profile. Interchange may be passed to merchants for more challenging approvals
Subscription · SaaS · Coaching · Digital
- Domestic U.S. MID
- Next-day funding
- 0–10% rolling reserve
- Free gateway integration
- Account updater included
CBD · Peptides · Telehealth · Vape · Dating · Travel
- Domestic or offshore MID
- Chargeback alerts (Ethoca + Verifi)
- 0-10% rolling reserve
- Dedicated underwriter
- MATCH-list considered
- Multi-MID load balancing
Adult · Firearms · Crypto · Gaming
- Offshore acquiring
- AEP / MSB registration support
- 0-10% rolling reserve
- 3DS 2.0 authentication
- Descriptor optimization
- Cascading across 3+ MIDs
From application to live processing in 4 steps
01
Apply Online
Complete the 4-minute application. No credit pull, no application fee, no long-term contract.
02
Meet Your Underwriter
A 2Accept underwriter reviews your business model, volume, and documents within 1 business hour.
03
Go Live in 48 Hours
Sign your MPA, receive your MID, and integrate via gateway API, hosted checkout, or Shopify.
04
Scale Safely
Grow with chargeback alerts, fraud scoring, and multi-MID load balancing as your volume scales.
Why a dedicated MID beats Stripe, Square, and PayPal
Aggregators pool thousands of merchants under one master account. When any single MCC trips a threshold, entire verticals get frozen. A dedicated MID from 2Accept belongs to your business alone.
| Feature | 2ACCEPT | Stripe | Square | PayPal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBD / Hemp approved | ||||
| Vape / E-cig approved | ||||
| Firearms / Ammo approved | ||||
| Dedicated MID (not aggregator) | ||||
| MATCH-list merchants considered | ||||
| Human underwriter (not chatbot) | ||||
| Multi-MID load balancing |
Keep your MID alive with built-in chargeback defense
Every 2Accept high risk merchant account includes the monitoring and mitigation stack required to stay under Visa's 1.0% chargeback threshold.
Chargeback Alerts
Ethoca and Verifi CDRN integrations catch disputes before they post, letting you refund pre-chargeback and protect your ratio.
Fraud Scoring
Kount, Sift, and NoFraud rules block velocity attacks, BIN testing, and stolen-card fraud in real time at authorization.
3DS 2.0 Authentication
3D Secure shifts liability to the issuer on authenticated transactions, eliminating fraud-based chargebacks on compliant checkouts.
Representment
Our dispute team files compelling evidence packages against friendly fraud and product-not-received disputes, recovering revenue within 45 days.
Multi-MID Load Balancing
Split volume across 2–5 MIDs via our cascading gateway to stay under per-MID caps and maintain chargeback ratios on every account.
Descriptor Optimization
Dynamic billing descriptors matched to your brand lower “I don't recognize this charge” disputes by 40%+.
Real businesses, real approvals
What merchants say
“After Stripe terminated us for selling CBD gummies, 2Accept had us live in 48 hours on a domestic MID. Zero freezes in 18 months.”
Sarah L. Founder,
CBD E-commerce Brand
“I tried four processors for my FFL store. 2Accept was the only one that understood MCC 5999 and got my ammo transactions approved.”
Michael R. ,
Owner, Firearms Retailer
“Our subscription box was flagged by Square for 'high chargeback volume.' 2Accept's Ethoca alerts dropped our ratio to 0.3% in one month.”
Michael R. ,
Firearms Retailer
What is a sweepstakes merchant account?
A sweepstakes business gets a high risk classification because, despite being legally distinct from gambling, the dual-currency model looks structurally similar to a casino to card-brand risk engines, because chargeback exposure on gold-coin purchases is elevated (buyer's-remorse after a losing run of play, player friendly-fraud claiming "I didn't authorize this charge," problem-gambling-style disputes filed by family members, and fraud-card use targeting fast-velocity gold-coin top-up cycles), because the AMOE structure that keeps the operation legal is fragile and frequently challenged (a buried or impractical free entry method, equal-dignity failures between the paid and free path, or official rules that read like a gambling product can collapse the entire legal basis), because card networks scrutinize any sweeps-coin redemption descriptor for gambling proximity, and because the U.S. state-by-state patchwork (full sweeps redemption commonly excluded in Washington, Michigan, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and at times New York, with Florida and New York requiring registration and bonding above prize-value thresholds) requires precise geofencing and per-state legality mapping that the acquirer underwrites continuously.
Opening a sweepstakes merchant account differs from opening a standard low-risk account in three ways. First, underwriting takes 5 to 12 business days rather than instant approval, because the acquirer reviews your AMOE legal opinion, official rules, equal-dignity free-entry path, Florida/New York registration and surety bond, excluded-state geofencing, age-verification integration, segregated prize-pool accounting, KYC on prize redemption, and prior sweepstakes processing history. Second, pricing typically ranges from 4.95% to 7.5% rather than the 2.6%–2.9% flat rate aggregators offer, because the acquirer absorbs higher chargeback exposure on gold-coin disputes, ongoing AMOE-structural monitoring cost, and state-by-state registration-maintenance verification. Third, the account issues a dedicated MID that belongs exclusively to your sweepstakes business, so the account cannot be terminated for serving the sweepstakes vertical the MID was approved to serve.
2Accept underwrites sweepstakes merchant accounts for dual-currency sweepstakes casinos selling gold-coin packages bundled with sweeps-coin promotional credits under an AMOE framework; social sweepstakes gaming studios running slots-, poker-, and bingo-themed games; consumer prize-promotion companies running brand-engagement sweepstakes; instant-win and scratch-game platforms; online raffle and giveaway operators structured as legal no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes; and white-label sweepstakes software vendors selling the underlying platform. Applications are reviewed by a dedicated sweepstakes underwriter within one business hour, approved in 5 to 12 business days depending on AMOE structural complexity and state registration review, and integrated through REST API into your dual-currency back office, native mobile SDK for gold-coin top-ups, or Shopify/WooCommerce plugin for consumer-sweepstakes storefronts after signing the merchant processing agreement.
Common types of sweepstakes merchants we underwrite
- Consumer sweepstakes & prize-promotion companies — — MCC 7993 / 5969, run limited-time brand-engagement sweepstakes and giveaways with official rules, no-purchase-necessary entry, and Florida/New York registration and bonding above prize-value thresholds
- White-label sweepstakes software vendors — — MCC 7372 / 5816, sell the underlying dual-currency platform, gold-coin engine, and AMOE-redemption tooling to downstream operators on a SaaS or licensing model
- Dual-currency sweepstakes casinos — — MCC 7993, sell purchasable gold coins for play bundled with free sweeps coins redeemable for cash prizes under an AMOE framework, run slots, table-game, and live-style themes with 18+/21+ age gating, excluded-state geofencing, and a written legal opinion supporting the no-purchase-necessary structure
- Promotional sweepstakes agencies — — MCC 7311 / 7993, design and administer sweepstakes campaigns on behalf of consumer brands, handling official rules, bonding, fulfillment, and the AMOE entry infrastructure
- Online raffle & giveaway operators — — MCC 7993, run draw-style giveaways structured as legal no-purchase-necessary sweepstakes (not unlicensed raffles), with state-by-state legality mapping and a genuine free alternative entry method
- Offshore-placed sweepstakes operators — — MCC 7993 offshore MID, operate dual-currency sweepstakes for non-U.S. players or for operators with prior aggregator termination, with multi-currency settlement and FATF-AML compliance
- Social sweepstakes gaming studios — — MCC 7993, monetize free-to-play sweepstakes games (slots, poker, bingo themes) with optional gold-coin top-ups via in-app SDK, redeem sweeps coins for prizes under AMOE, available in most U.S. states with carve-outs
- Skill-game / amusement-with-prize operators — — MCC 7993, run skill-based reveal games with prize payouts in jurisdictions that recognize a predominance-of-skill carve-out, paired with AMOE backstops where chance elements exist
- Instant-win & scratch-game platforms — — MCC 7993, run continuous-play reveal games (scratch, spin-to-win, instant reveal) under an AMOE structure with prize redemption, age gating, and excluded-state geofencing
- Subscription & loyalty sweepstakes programs — — MCC 7993 / 5968, layer sweepstakes entries onto a recurring subscription or loyalty box, with each purchase awarding bonus entries while preserving a free no-purchase-necessary path
Questions merchants ask before applying
Yes. 2Accept onboards both U.S.-based and non-U.S. sweepstakes operators. Non-U.S. sweepstakes businesses are placed with offshore acquiring banks in the U.K., EU, Caribbean, or APAC with multi-currency settlement in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, and AUD. U.S. sweepstakes entities qualify for domestic MIDs with next-business-day funding, provided the AMOE structure, official rules, and state registrations are in place. Operators serving U.S. players must geofence the excluded states (typically WA, MI, ID, MT, NV) out of full sweeps redemption to clear underwriting.
Ready to open your sweepstakes merchant account?
Underwriting review in 1 business hour. Full approval in 48.
Adjacent industries 2Accept also approves
Sweepstakes operators frequently expand into adjacent regulated verticals as their business matures — a dual-currency sweepstakes casino layers in a social-casino sister brand, a consumer prize-promotion company branches into online-auction giveaway campaigns, a sweepstakes software vendor white-labels into the broader iGaming market, a high-volume gold-coin platform launches a crypto deposit corridor through an MSB-registered partner, and an instant-win operator activates event-ticketing for live prize-draw events. 2Accept underwrites all of these adjacent categories under the same acquiring relationships, so a single sweepstakes operator can hold multiple MIDs across related verticals without restarting underwriting from scratch.
If your sweepstakes business operates across multiple high risk verticals — say, a dual-currency sweepstakes casino, plus a separate social-casino studio published on iOS and Android, plus a consumer prize-promotion arm running brand campaigns — 2Accept can structure separate MIDs for each entity under one master underwriting relationship. Volume load-balances across the MIDs through our cascading gateway, each MID's chargeback exposure, AMOE structural integrity, geofence performance, and prize-redemption KYC metrics are monitored independently so a dispute spike on the sweepstakes-casino side doesn't threaten the social-casino MID, and all entities clear under a unified BSA/AML and responsible-play reporting workflow.