Escort agency merchant accounts UK
Card networks treat the category as adult-adjacent with elevated reputational and chargeback exposure. Mainstream UK acquirers decline categorically regardless of the legality of the agency model.
Legal status (UK)
Escort agency and introduction services are legal in UK; soliciting, brothel-keeping and related offences are separate criminal matters under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Agencies operate within the legal service-brokering perimeter.
Acquirers accepting
- Specialist adult-vertical acquirers
- Selected ISOs with adult-adjacent programmes
Typical pricing
- Rate
- 4.5% to 7.0% blended
- Settlement reserve
- 10% to 20% rolling reserve standard
Watch outs
- Card scheme rules around adult-adjacent services are strict; descriptor and MCC selection matter.
- Age-verification and identity documentation expectations are higher than mainstream verticals.
- Some acquirers exclude in-person service categories even where the agency model is legal.
- Reputational underwriting often as strict as the legal compliance position.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-18.