High Risk Merchant Accounts 101: The Essential Guide to Payment Processing in High Risk & Regulated Industries, published May 21, 2026 by SoarPay and co-authored by Adam Carlson and Andy Hagans, has reached Amazon bestseller status—climbing to #1 New Release in E-Commerce and drawing five-star reviews and praise from payments industry leaders since its release.
A Complete Guide to Payment Processing for E-Commerce and Regulated Businesses
Payment processing is opaque to many business owners. Merchants rarely understand how banks, processors, and card networks evaluate their business—or how quickly that evaluation can change. High Risk Merchant Accounts 101 walks merchants through the full underwriting process: how risk is actually assessed, what processors are looking for in an application, and how to build a payment infrastructure that can scale over time. Written for e-commerce operators, subscription businesses, and companies in regulated industries, it is the first comprehensive book of its kind.
Amazon Bestseller and #1 New Release in E-Commerce
Published on May 21, 2026, High Risk Merchant Accounts 101 climbed to #1 New Release in E-Commerce (Books) on Amazon within days of its release, earning the “Top New Release in E-Commerce” badge displayed to all shoppers browsing the category. At peak, the book also reached #2 in Commerce (Books) overall, outselling thousands of established finance and business titles. The book continues to rank as a bestseller across Amazon’s Commerce, E-Commerce, and Banks & Banking categories.
Five-Star Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
The book holds a 5.0-star rating on Amazon across all verified purchase reviews to date. One reviewer called it “a must-read for anyone who is looking for a merchant account to accept credit card payments” adding that “knowing what underwriting does and does not want to see is invaluable information for getting your business approved.”
The book also holds a 5.0-star rating on Goodreads. One Goodreads reviewer described the book as “Clear, practical, and surprisingly strategic. A very worthwhile read for business owners and operators.”
Endorsed by Payments Industry Leaders
The book has been praised by payments executives and experts across the industry. James Huber, Esq., Managing Partner at Global Legal Law Firm, called it “the most clear-eyed, practical guide I’ve seen on the realities of high risk payment processing.” Greg Myers, host of the Leaders in Payments podcast—which has featured more than 450 payments executives over six years—said the book “gets it right” and “gives merchants practical steps to reduce surprises.” John R. Shipley Jr., Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Xplor Pay, called it “required reading for any business operating in regulated or complex industries that wants to protect its revenue.” Since publication, the book has been covered by PYMNTS.com and StreetInsider.com, among other media outlets.
About the Book
High Risk Merchant Accounts 101: The Essential Guide to Payment Processing in High Risk & Regulated Industries. Authors: Adam Carlson (ISNI 0000 0005 3033 7349) and Andy Hagans (ISNI 0000 0005 3033 7322). Paperback ISBN: 979-8995301202 (ASIN B0H2QTDQBG). E-book ISBN: 979-8995301219 (ASIN B0H2QR7M4M). Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit https://highriskmerchantaccounts101.com/ to learn more or to purchase the book.
SoarPay (Soar Payments LLC) is a Texas-based provider of merchant services, focused exclusively on ecommerce and regulated industries. That focus has earned SoarPay consistent recognition from the industry’s most trusted independent reviewers. NerdWallet includes SoarPay in its “Best High-Risk Merchant Account Providers” roundup, noting that “Soar Payments is likely to have a solution for your business.” TechnologyAdvice named SoarPay the “Best Mid-Market High-Risk Specialist” in its 2026 guide, and Merchant Maverick awarded SoarPay “the best choice for rapid account approval” among high-risk processors. SoarPay also holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and has maintained continuous BBB accreditation since July 27, 2018.
