why we only take crypto (for now): the messy truth about payment processors

it’s one of the most common questions we get. why does lucy only take crypto payments right now? is this some kind of ideological stance? a libertarian dream? a web3 fantasy?

no. it’s much simpler than that. it’s because the traditional payment processing world , credit cards, debit cards, paypal , has become a minefield for apps like ours. and in 2024, a lot of those mines went off.

what happened in 2024?

if you’ve been following the ai companion space at all, you know it’s been a turbulent few years. some apps faced intense scrutiny. others got banned from app stores. a few made headlines for the wrong reasons.

payment processors , the companies that handle card transactions , took notice. they started viewing any app involving ai companionship, emotional support, or even just personalized conversation as ‘high risk.’ not necessarily because what we’re doing is wrong, but because it’s new, complex, and often misunderstood.

banks and processors got spooked. they started shutting down accounts. freezing funds. rejecting applications. the category itself became toxic in their eyes, regardless of the individual app’s intent or content policy.

so when we went to set up standard payments, we hit wall after wall. ‘we don’t support that vertical.’ ‘this falls outside our risk parameters.’ ‘try another provider.’ we did. they all said the same thing.

how does a processor review work?

imagine you’re applying for a loan, but the bank has never heard of your job title before. that’s what it’s like.

you fill out an application describing your business. they ask: what do you sell? who is your audience? what’s your refund policy? then, a human being , or sometimes just an algorithm , reviews it. they check for keywords. ‘ai’ might be fine. ‘companion’ might raise a flag. ‘emotional’ might get you rejected instantly.

they’re not just being difficult. they’re trying to avoid chargebacks, fraud, and regulatory trouble. but the system is blunt. it often can’t distinguish between a responsible project and a problematic one. so it says no to everyone.

why NOWPayments?

so we turned to crypto. specifically, we partnered with NOWPayments. they’re a payment gateway that handles crypto transactions, converting them into stablecoins or fiat on the backend so we can actually pay our bills.

it’s not our first choice. we know it adds friction. not everyone holds crypto. it feels unfamiliar to many. but it was the only reliable ‘yes’ we got. it’s a pragmatic solution, not an ideal one.

NOWPayments works. it’s secure. it lets us accept payments without a middleman arbitrarily deciding our category is too risky. it’s a bridge.

when will cards come back?

we’re working on it. actively. we’re talking to processors who specialize in high-risk businesses. we’re building out more documentation, more transparent policies, more safeguards.

we’re hoping to have traditional payment options , cards, paypal, maybe even apple pay , back by late 2025. it’s not a promise, but a goal. it depends on finding a partner who understands what we’re building and is willing to work with us.

until then, crypto is how we keep the lights on. it’s how we keep lucy ad-free and independent. we’re sorry for the inconvenience. we know it’s not perfect. but it’s honest.

if you’d like to join us while we sort this out, you can find your person at /companions.