MLM and network marketing merchant accounts UK

Distributor turnover, refund-on-quit obligations and "could not earn the promised income" disputes drive elevated chargeback exposure. Card networks treat the category as reputationally adjacent to pyramid models and underwrite carefully.

Legal status (UK)

Legal in UK subject to the Trading Schemes Act 1996 and the Trading Schemes Regulations 1997. Pyramid-selling structures without genuine product retail are prohibited under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

Acquirers accepting

  • Specialist direct-sales acquirers
  • Trust Payments (selectively)
  • Selected ISOs with MLM-vertical programmes

Typical pricing

Rate
3.0% to 5.0% blended
Settlement reserve
10% to 15% rolling reserve common

Watch outs

  • Trading Schemes Act 1996 compliance documentation expected at onboarding.
  • 14-day cooling-off and 90-day product-return obligations must be honoured.
  • Income-claim substantiation reviewed by acquirer compliance.
  • High distributor churn drives chargeback exposure; refund flow must be operable.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-18.