Is NMI or Authorize.Net the best high-risk gateway?

If you are trying to decide whether NMI or Authorize.Net is better for your high-risk e-commerce business, you have already taken an important step in the right direction.

Do you have any questions about Authorize.Net or NMI? We’d love to help, contact us today. 

Established e-commerce entrepreneurs and start-ups that are looking to grow their online businesses both need to find the ideal way to accept credit card payments without getting shut down. Choosing the right payment gateway is crucial, especially when you are processing high-risk credit card transactions.

At Blue Payment Agency, we make accepting high-risk online payments simple. We dedicate ourselves to helping you grow your business. Regardless of whether you are a small website or a large corporation, we are here to help.

In this article, we aim to help you decide which is better for your business – NMI or Authorize.Net. Below we cover the strengths of both gateways so you see which better fits your unique business.

Please note. The information below is for general information only. It would be impossible for us to accurately tell you whether NMI or Authorize.Net is better for your high-risk business without knowing more about you, your industry, and product type.

For the best answer to which is better for high-risk processing – Authorize.Net or NMI – you should contact us today.

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Which gateway is compatible with the most e-commerce software or platforms?

It can be quite difficult to keep track of which is compatible with more platforms and software than the other. Authorize.Net and NMI are both compatible when set up correctly, with some of the biggest e-commerce facilitators out there.

If we look at the numbers, both are compatible with 149+ shopping carts, and there is some inherent overlap.

Here are some high-risk-friendly site builders and e-commerce software that are compatible with both gateways, although some do require 3rd party plug-ins and additional software or workarounds in order to accept high-risk payments.

  • BigCommerce
  • ClickFunnels
  • Ecwid
  • Foxy.io
  • GunBroker
  • Magento
  • OpenCart
  • PrestaShop
  • Weebly
  • Wix
  • WooCommerce

However, there are some noteworthy high-risk friendly software and shopping cart examples where only one of the payment gateways is compatible. For example, NMI doesn’t integrate with Shopify, whereas Authorize.Net does. Similarly, Authorize.Net doesn’t integrate with ClickFunnels, while NMI does.

With the right help, you’ll be able to create your high-risk site on most platforms with one of these gateways (provided the gateways themselves are correctly set up with the right high-risk merchant account).

If you need help setting up a merchant account and gateway account for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can reach us here and we will happily answer your questions and pair you with either Authorize.Net or NMI based on which gateway suits your high-risk business best.

Compatibility with processors

Authorize.Net and NMI are both big players in the payment game. Essentially, Authorize.Net works with all major US processors and some international ones. On the other hand, NMI has exceptionally broad processor compatibility both in the United States and internationally.

In short, if most of your business is based on international e-commerce, then NMI may very well be the best option for your high-risk site. If you mostly sell only within the US, either is a perfectly valid choice.

Note: Blue Payment Agency focuses exclusively on US and Canadian payment processing clients.

Are some high-risk industries better served by NMI versus Authorize.Net?

The answer to whether there are distinct differences that make NMI or Authorize.Net better than the other based on industry compatibility is not straightforward. What we can say is that both generally work very well for a few industries, like:

  • Ammunition
  • CBD
  • Coaching
  • Firearms
  • Online Education
  • Nutritional supplements

Feature comparison between NMI and Authorize.Net

When we look at features, NMI offers a somewhat more expansive service. However, we want to underline that this statement is in no way meant to put Authorize.Net in a bad light. Authorize.Net offers a great array of bundled features that are instrumental in making a payment gateway effective, user-friendly, affordable, and secure.

In terms of features, with both NMI and Authorize.net you’ll get fraud prevention, PCI compliant customer information management, data security, mobile application integration, virtual terminals, and various degrees of reporting capabilities. NMI does charge a little extra for some features that are included with Authorize.Net, though.

NMI certainly stands out in terms of feature range. Among their many notable features is batch processing, transaction routing, automatic card updaters for recurring billing and card on file processing, and the simple QuickClick Shopping Cart, to mention only a few.

Choosing between Authorize.Net and NMI based on business type

When we start to compare benefits for different business types, we can see clearer differences between NMI and Authorize.Net.

For example, NMI is excellent for businesses selling a diverse range of product types, or ones that offer a wider range in terms of point of sale. If you have a physical store or location that you sell from in addition to an e-commerce presence, then NMI may be the better option for you.

Authorize.Net, on the other hand, provides a reliable and straightforward payment gateway that is ideal when your business is run almost entirely online. The biggest distinction, however, is that NMI is the better choice if any of the following applies to your business:

  • You run multiple websites selling different high-risk products
  • Your business sells a range of products – some high-risk, some low-risk
  • You sell products at multiple locations, as well as online

If any of the above apply to your high-risk business, then NMI is likely to be the better option for you. This is largely due to NMI’s unique ability to integrate multiple merchant accounts into one payment gateway with one login. This is also supplemented with excellent volume balance loading and ease of access.

On the other hand, if any of the following characterizes your high-risk business, Authorize.net might be a better fit for you:

  • You sell your high-risk products from one website
  • You don’t sell products that are vastly different in terms of risk
  • You only use one high-risk merchant account for your business

Details matter when evaluating whether NMI or Authorize.Net is better

The devil is in the details when it comes to choosing payment processing. This is especially true when choosing a high-risk friendly payment gateway. The best way to find out which gateway best serves your business’ unique needs is by getting in touch with a high-risk payment industry expert.

If you need help choosing between NMI and Authorize.Net, please don’t hesitate to contact us. At Blue Payment Agency, we’re more than happy to talk through your options, discuss your unique needs, and pair you with the gateway that will make your life easier.

As official NMI resellers and Authorize.Net payment gateway experts, we can help you decide which will make the biggest positive impact on your business and sales.

Need a payment gateway or merchant account? Contact us online or give us a call at 844-253-9769.