Skip to main content
smiling man looking at computer monitor showing data on screen

High Brand Risk

Our High Brand Risk Program helps you stay compliant

Discover® Global Network is honored to be your trusted payment partner and help participants operate in a way that follows the law and Discover® regulations with our High Brand Risk (HBR) Program.

Discover® Global Network is honored to be your trusted payment partner and help participants operate in a way that follows the law and Discover® regulations with our High Brand Risk (HBR) Program.

How the HBR Program stabilizes the payment ecosystem

pencil writing on paper icon

Acquirer and merchant registration

HBR manages the elevated risk of specific transaction verticals like online gambling, skill-based games, and digital currency via enhanced registration and operating requirements.

shaking hands icon

Strategic partnership relationships

The HBR program allows us to work with vendors that support our identification and investigation into prohibited/illegal activity.

exclamation point in magnifying glass icon

Network monitoring and due diligence

HBR monitors transaction activity and enforces penalties to protect Discover Global Network and its clients from high-risk, illegal, and brand-damaging activities that violate our regulations or present unacceptable risk.

two coworkers talking and looking at a tablet device

Get started with the HBR portal

This self-service tool enables acquirers to register and receive approval to support HBR categories, as well as register and track the registration of their HBR merchants.

The HBR portal provides increased efficiency of the HBR Program administration, a hub for communicating the latest information in HBR registration, and access to all historical registration information.

Program FAQ

Acquirers that have a relationship with defined HBR merchant categories are responsible for registering their merchants. Failure to do so may result in non-compliance fees. For more information on the HBR requirements, please refer to the program documents.

At this time, there is no registration fee for the HBR Program.

To register a merchant, an acquirer must follow the requirements described in the program documents and operating regulations. The required information includes:

  • Merchant Category Code (MCC) of registering merchant(s)
  • Transaction identifier information including merchant ID, address, and URL, etc.
  • Completed attestation
  • Verification that merchant meets all specific HBR merchant requirements, as applicable

Tap into the latest payments topics

Explore All