Best Merchant Accounts & Payment Gateway For CBD Stores

Cannabidiol or CBD is one of the compounds that exist in cannabis. CBD / hemp products (including oils, edibles and flowers) have recently received a lot of attention by being at the forefront of medical studies to help aid certain heath issues. However, due to the nature of the cannabis industry – although CBD is perfectly legal the sale of specific products can be somewhat controversial. It is for this reason why finding a merchant provide to process your CBD website payments can be tricky.

Establishing a CBD merchant account will allow you to accept credit card payments from your customers and will help you avoid chargebacks. But due to the risks and strict regulations associated with the cannabidiol industry, it’s not easy to get approval for a merchant account and you may find yourself paying a much higher transaction rate than you need to.

Restricted Payment Gateway Options

Most mainstream merchant account providers like Stripe and PayPal do not support CBD websites due to the high risk and controversy involved in the industry.

In some cases we have seen clients setup with mainstream gateways and sell their products fine for the first few months. It is only until customers start to dispute transactions or you start to generate more revenue that your business will be analysed. It is at this point where the gateway could potentially discontinue your service without any notice and in worse cases hold your balance until they conclude their investigations.

Dangers of using a restricted payment gateway

• Losing the payment facility without warning
• Having your payments held / blocked
• High setup fees
• High transaction fees

How To Apply For A CBD Merchant Account

If your business is under the cannabidiol/CBD industry, you must set up a high-risk CBD merchant account.

The reason? The CBD industry often encounters a high volume of chargebacks, frauds, strict government regulations, and legal complexities with the cannabidiol substance. Having a merchant account can be valuable for your CBD business in these high-risk environments.

As merchants in the CBD industry have a higher regulatory exposure and chargeback ratios, financial institutions are often concerned about the violation of bank rules and regulations. That’s why presenting your business in the best possible way in front of payment processors is essential.

Our team of experts give you updated information and ensures that your business is financially sound, compliant, and eligible to get a high-risk merchant account. We are always available to guide you through the entire process efficiently and smoothly. With our assistance, your business can gain credibility and increased the chances of merchant account approval.

Application Checklist

The application process for getting a high-risk merchant account is short and straightforward. Here’s are some of the essential documents that you will require while applying:

• Copy of shareholders certificate
• Copy of incorporation certificate
• Organisational structure chart (If applicable)
• Valid proof of ID for all directors
• Processing history of the last 3 to 6 months, including chargeback percentage and transaction volume
• Screenshot of the homepage of official site
• An SSL certificate secured website

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are CBD businesses classes as high risk?

The CBD industry is perceived as a high-risk industry by major credit card processors due to the following reasons :

• The CBD industry has a high chargeback ratio.
• CBD products need to be subject to scientific testing / reports by a reputable lab to ensure they meet the right levels of ingredients.
• CBD businesses that have zero to little payment card processing history will be deemed as an even higher risk as they have no experience in the industry or ecommerce.

Can you find a CBD merchant provider that will release our funds quickly?

Merchant providers set limits on releases and rolling reserves to cover their risk.

If you have transactional history and have been processing CBD transactions for some time it is very likely we can source a provider that will give you a very quick release with a very small (if not 0) rolling reserve.

Use the form to the side and we can certainly look for you.

How long can it take to setup a payment gateway for my CBD ecommerce website?

Getting approval for high-risk merchant accounts in the CBD industry takes time. It’s mainly because of the risk involved and the limited availability of merchant account providers.

If you are already processing payments then this will make things easier as we would assume you have your product lab reports etc to hand and ready to go.

We have seen some merchant accounts setup in as little as 2/3 days.

Do I have to pay for you to find a CBD merchant provider?

Absolutely not. Our service is 100% free for our clients. 

We receive a small commission from the merchant provider which is why we can offer this as a free service.

My current CBD merchant provider has stopped my service. Can you help me get back up urgently?

Of course. We understand the importance of running a CBD ecommerce empire with ad campaigns and the implications of being out of action

Fill out the form to the side and we will urgently process your request while explaining to the provider that we need a quick turnaround to open the merchant account for you.