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Ryosuke
Ryosuke

Posted on • Originally published at stayregular.net on

The State of Payment Processing for Cannabis E-Commerce

The cannabis industry is booming, and the online sector is no stranger to the success. Over the last few years we've watched a sea of new companies flood the digital market with cannabis based goods. But how do these companies sell products like CBD online and process credit cards? It's not magic -- you just gotta know a guy.

High Risk

Payment processing for cannabis falls under the category of 'high risk'. It literally means just that for the banks and processors, they're dealing with a client that's a higher risk than others. Whether it's a higher risk of chargebacks or fraud -- or in the case of cannabis, selling a product that's borderline illegal.

Other companies that fall under the category of 'high risk' include:

  • Adult orientated sites (anything porn)
  • Auctions
  • Drug Paraphrenalia
  • Gambling
  • Get Rich Quick / Life Coaching

What does High Risk mean for business?

You'll have to find a payment processor that specializes in high risk accounts, and they'll connect you to banks and credit institutions willing to work with you.

It also means you'll have to pay more. You'll pay more per transaction, as the fees tend to be around 6-12% -- instead of the 3.5% you see on a site like Paypal or Stripe. You also may have to pay a small fee per chargeback.

The Rules

Most online processors have a baseline of rules for dealing with cannabis companies.

  • CBD or services. No actual cannabis with THC (unless you get a really good deal, and honestly, it's probably not a permanent solution)
  • 21+ popup (most processors require it)
  • Terms of Service that reflect the age limitation
  • No sale or promotion of illegal drugs (As tempting as it may be, you can't associate your brand with magic mushrooms, cocaine, or any other illicit substance)

In some cases, processors may ask for this (but if they do, I'd personally keep looking):

  • Clean site of any cannabis references, apply, then re-apply canna-branding after confirmation.
  • Remove all social media posts referencing cannabis

The Slim List

Here's where things get interesting. In my research of over 200 companies, I found that most (read: 99%) of American based companies would not offer any website associated with cannabis processing. And I'm talking any website, even if you're in lifestyle selling apparel -- if it's got a leaf it's a scarlet letter.

If you're working in the online space and you're looking for a quick option to sign up and get going -- there are few and far between. And the handful that are listed only work with non-cannabis selling entities, you'd basically have to be slinging only CBD.

What should you pick?

Your easiest bet is to go with Shopify. I tried going directly to Authorize.net, Shopify's payment processor, and they denied any form of cannabis business. But they informed me that their resellers can offer payment services to cannabis companies at their own risk. Which Shopify does --

albeit not openly, you can find plenty of paraphrenalia and CBD shops on their platform.

Your safest bet is to go overseas to Europe and poach on financial institutes in countries like the UK and Amsterdam -- where they already have a proliferation of quazi-legal cannabis-based businesses between coffeeshops and headshops. Find a bank/processor that allows for overseas banking and you should be set.

SkyHighMoly is a semi-safe option. They've been around for at least couple years now, and they were able to offer me personally some of the best rates around. And I've shopped everywhere else.

My Advice?

Never settle for check processing. It's a scam. In this day and age, there's no reason you can't be processing with credit or even debit. If the salesman offers you check processing and can't offer credit, walk away, they're a waste of time. Don't give any percent of your profits to people who can't even provide you a standardized experience.

Go hard. Never hide anything. Show all your cards from the start and see what's allowed. The hidden cards will be played out on the table eventually. Most processors will work with you and advise you on what particular aspects failed their criteria. It's easier to go back and forth a few rounds in the preliminary process, than lose profits when your site is booming due to a random spot check.

  • Have a backup plan. Make sure to have a minimum top 2, or top 3-5 options. With the flaky relationship of finance and cannabis due to federal limitations, a processor that seemed reliable for years may disappear in a day. It happened to dispensaries in Florida recently when their banking solution closed all cannabis accounts. The bank wanted to clean their slate due to a buyout from a federally regulated institution.

Oh and don't fall for any of those phony "potcoin" fads. Cryptocurrency has proven to be an excellent way for businesses to facilitate sales. However, it comes at the cost of pouring money in a volatile micro-economy often controlled by a small subset that have been known to steal funds. But if you're seriously interested in cryptocurrency, I'd recommend going with a mainstream coin like Bitcoin. And services like Bitpay can get your sales going.

Still need help?

If you've gotten this far and you've already expended all the options I've laid out -- welcome to the club!

Regardless of what choice you make, there is always an immense amount of risk involved in sustaining payment processing. And most businesses can and will lose their current processor in the next 1-2 years (or tomorrow!). That's why you might want to look into a payment processing consultant who specializes in developing relationships with processors and even banks to offer you solutions. These experts find private banks on your behalf and create the relationship to facilitate sales. If you're selling cannabis , like a dispensary or distributor, this is your best option.

It's not impossible!

You can sell cannabis, and cannabis-related products, with a credit card. It is totally possible, and it's happening every single day with countless businesses. The most important thing is to not feel defeated, because the battle for payment processing will be an uphill struggle. That's why most people lean on simple solutions like Shopify, or run to consultants who solve everything for small percentages of everything.

Whichever you decide, I wish you the best of luck on your entrepreneurial journey!

Stay regular,

Oscar

Top comments (6)

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rgoldmanning profile image
RGoldManning • Edited

Man i do not really think that ''showing all of your cards'' is exactly the best idea. Especially taking into account that it is exactly how you said that it is a high risk product, how on earth showing all of your cards might be a good idea? I mean, seriously, in this case you got to be as hidden as possible, especially if the product is still illegal in the place where you live. That is exactly the cause why should try and keed it as ''confidential'' as possible, as it is not like you go to a greenhouseil.com/litchfield/ store to buy it with some cash, you order online and you got to make a payment which you do not see where do the money go, so i think that ''showing all of your cards'' is a bit stupid.

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whoisryosuke profile image
Ryosuke

I've had people tell me to put up a fake website, get approved, then put back my real site. You can do that if you want to play it risky and gamble your money away.

What happens when they do a checkup 2 months later (because the system automatically flags a transactions -- or someone makes a complaint [snitches are real]), ban you, and you're forced to find a new payment processor while operating a business? That's money lost. And customers don't care about these backend issues, they just want to make a purchase. Any issues with that process just make your brand look worse. I've had to do this 3-4 times in the span of 2 years, and it's not fun, and takes an immense toll on revenue.

At that point, there's no "putting up a fake site" or "taking down 'illegal' product". Your site is live, customers are browsing it daily, and now your only solution is to hide again in plain sight temporarily when you re-apply to a different processor? What does that say to a customer that pops in to "CannabisDirect.com" and suddenly finds a completely different language and experience? You've lost them and their trust.

Not to mention, we're just talking a website here. Payment processors are diligent enough to check *social media profiles*, so you'd have to wipe out all your accounts (or start "clean" and then get "dirty") if you wanted to get approved -- on top of your site content.

The point is to find partners who will work with your business -- despite the legal gray area. There are people who work in that space (clearly, how else are all the other CBD and cannabis companies taking credit cards?) -- you just have to find the right people.

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rgoldmanning profile image
RGoldManning

Maybe you are right, but i don't know, i just do not agree with some points.

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danydeniro profile image
Dany

Does anyone else buy stuff online? Personally, I only consume in the company of like-minded individuals, where there's always the best quality and atmosphere. Walking into the barcelonaweedmap.com/ club, I was greeted by a cozy atmosphere and friendly staff. The club had a wide variety of cannabis products to choose from, including different strains, edibles, and concentrates. Overall, my experience in the cannabis club was positive, and I would definitely recommend checking one out if you have the opportunity.

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markbennetty profile image
markbennetty

Great article! Thank you for information:)
I work at farmerslabseeds - weed seeds california. And because we're an online seller, we can offer our seeds at a fraction of the price of retail stores and that's why, your article is so key-point for me! So if you're looking to buy cannabis seeds, be sure to check out Farmers Lab Seeds. We have the best selection and the best prices around.

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johnyyy12 profile image
johnyyy12 • Edited

We are living in 2020, soon almost every service that today needs physical presence will go online. Everything is digitalized, there are even taxi cars in the world that today can drive without a driver, of course, there is a change that you can fell into an accident and die, but al our life is at our own risk, technology is developing and soon a lot of problems that you can have today can be fixed with a simple update tomorrow. Similar goes to CBD products that are ordered online. Today maybe most of the people go to the coffee shop, but as soon as people will understand that it is safer and easier to order some CBD products, for example, on getkush.io they won't quit anymore their houses because they can get it delivered next to their door. This is the future and we must accept it.