CBD Merchant Accounts and Payment Gateways for the UK and EU
Published - 02 July 2025
Revised - 14 August 2026
Written by Libby James
Libby James is the founder and Managing Director of Merchant Advice Service. Since 2016, she has worked directly with businesses and payment providers across merchant accounts, card processing, payment gateways and complex provider requirements.
Libby specialises in high-risk, declined and harder-to-place merchants, as well as businesses requiring specialist payment methods, integrations or international support. She writes and reviews Merchant Advice Service content, drawing on practical experience gained from real merchant enquiries and provider relationships.
CBD Merchant Accounts and Payment Gateways
Finding card processing for a CBD business is rarely as simple as finding a payment provider that says it accepts “CBD”.
Two businesses both selling cannabidiol products can present completely different risks to an acquiring bank.
One might be an established retailer selling oils and capsules linked to recognised novel-food applications. Another might import its own products, sell several cannabinoids, make health claims on its website or ship into multiple countries.
From a payments perspective, those are very different businesses.
For CBD merchants, successful payment processing therefore depends on three things working together:
the product, the compliance evidence and the payment provider’s appetite.
A suitable CBD merchant account should support what the business actually sells, how it sells it and the countries in which it operates.
This guide explains what payment providers assess, what documentation CBD merchants may need, why applications get declined and when established businesses should consider reviewing or switching their existing card-processing arrangement.
Quick answer: Can CBD businesses accept card payments?
Yes, potentially.
UK CBD businesses can obtain merchant accounts and payment gateways, but provider choice is more restricted than it is for conventional retail.
Approval normally depends on factors including:
- The exact products sold
- Whether products are ingested, topical or used in another way
- Supplier and manufacturer information
- CBD and controlled-cannabinoid content
- Product testing
- Novel-food status where relevant
- Website wording and product claims
- Where customers are located
- How goods are fulfilled
- Previous processing history
- Chargebacks and refunds
- Monthly turnover
- The countries into which products are sold
The important point is that an acquiring bank should knowingly approve CBD activity.
Opening a standard ecommerce account and describing the business simply as “health products”, “supplements” or “cosmetics” can create problems later if the provider discovers that CBD forms part of the range.
Merchant Advice Service is an independent UK payments information and provider-matching service with experience helping businesses assess payment options for specialist and higher-risk sectors, including CBD.
For CBD businesses, identifying a suitable provider requires a clear understanding of the products being sold, the jurisdictions involved, website and product information, applicable compliance requirements and the individual provider's acceptance criteria.
Why are CBD merchant accounts considered high risk?
The main issue is not that CBD itself automatically makes a business unsafe.
The difficulty for acquiring banks is the regulatory complexity around the products.
CBD sits across several potential regulatory areas.
Depending on the product, these can involve:
- Food and novel-food regulation
- Controlled-drug legislation
- Medicines rules
- Advertising requirements
- Cosmetic-product requirements
- Importation
- Cross-border sales
- Product safety
Pure CBD itself is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but the Home Office explains that consumer CBD products can contain controlled cannabinoids such as THC. Products containing controlled substances may themselves fall within controlled-drug legislation unless an applicable exemption or licensing route applies.
That means a payment underwriter cannot simply ask:
“Does this company sell CBD?”
They need to understand:
“What exactly does this company sell, what is in it, where did it come from and can the merchant demonstrate its route to market?”
That is the real underwriting issue.
CBD product type matters
One of the biggest mistakes when applying for a CBD merchant account is treating every CBD product as though it falls into the same category.
It does not.
CBD oils, gummies, capsules, drinks and supplements
Ingestible CBD products can fall within the novel-food regime.
The Food Standards Agency confirms that CBD extracts, isolates, synthetic CBD products and foods containing them are classed as novel foods. Novel foods require authorisation before being legally placed on the market.
England and Wales currently operate a register of CBD products linked to novel-food applications.
The register includes products that met the FSA's criteria for remaining on the market while their applications progress. The FSA makes clear that inclusion on the list does not amount to approval or endorsement.
For a CBD merchant account application, an underwriter may therefore ask:
- Which products are being sold?
- Who manufactures them?
- Which novel-food application are they linked to?
- Does the product sold match the product listed?
- Is the merchant the applicant, brand owner, distributor or retailer?
- Have formulations or concentrations changed?
- Where is the product being sold?
This is much stronger evidence than simply telling a provider:
“All our CBD products are legal.”
Scotland is different
CBD food businesses should not assume that the England and Wales Public List applies across the whole UK.
Food Standards Scotland is responsible for CBD food regulation in Scotland. As of July 2026, it states that CBD food products require novel-food authorisation and that no CBD food products have yet been authorised in Scotland. In March 2026, FSS launched consultation on the first three CBD novel-food applications.
This geographical distinction matters to payment providers.
A merchant selling throughout Great Britain may therefore face different regulatory considerations from one selling only in England.
CBD cosmetics and topical products
A CBD skincare or cosmetic business creates a different underwriting profile from a CBD supplement retailer.
The payment provider may want to see:
- Product ingredients
- Manufacturer details
- Product safety documentation
- Labelling
- Website descriptions
- Claims made about the product
Particular care is needed with medicinal claims.
The MHRA states that a CBD-containing product marketed for a medical purpose falls within medicines legislation. Medicinal products generally need the relevant marketing authorisation before lawful sale or advertising.
A cosmetic description such as:
“CBD massage balm”
therefore creates a very different compliance issue from claims that the product:
“treats arthritis”, “relieves chronic pain” or “reduces anxiety”.
The latter may cause both regulatory and acquiring problems.
CBD vape products
CBD vaping should not automatically be treated as identical to CBD food or supplements.
The regulatory route and provider appetite can differ.
A business selling both:
- Nicotine vape products
- CBD vape products
- CBD oils
- Supplements
should disclose the complete range rather than apply under whichever category appears easiest to place.
For a mixed vape and CBD retailer, the acquiring decision may depend on the most restricted part of the product range.
CBD flower and other cannabis-derived products
Merchants should be particularly careful about assuming that products described as “CBD flower”, “hemp flower” or “low-THC cannabis” have the same status as purified CBD.
Cannabis itself remains a Class B controlled drug, subject to limited statutory exceptions and licensing arrangements. The Home Office's guidance explains that the legal status depends on the actual plant material and controlled cannabinoids involved.
A payment provider may therefore refuse products even where the merchant believes they are permitted.
Legal status should be established independently rather than relying on a supplier description or another retailer selling the same product.
MAS insight: CBD applications are often declined because the product story does not join up
A recurring issue with CBD merchant account applications is not necessarily the business itself.
It is that different parts of the application tell different stories.
For example:
The application says the merchant sells CBD oils.
The website also contains:
- Gummies
- Vape liquids
- Mushroom supplements
- Other cannabinoids
- Wholesale products
The merchant says it is a retailer.
Supplier documents suggest it is also:
- Importing
- White-labelling
- Manufacturing
- Reformulating products
The business says products are compliant.
But the underwriter cannot easily match:
- The brand
- Product name
- Manufacturer
- Certificate of analysis
- Novel-food application
- Website listing
The problem becomes uncertainty.
And in higher-risk underwriting, uncertainty often produces either:
more questions, slower approval or a decline.
A strong CBD merchant account application should make it easy for an underwriter to understand the entire product chain.
What documentation do CBD payment providers ask for?
Requirements vary between providers, but established CBD businesses should expect more detailed due diligence than a conventional ecommerce retailer.
Company information
This may include:
- Company registration
- Directors and beneficial owners
- Identification
- Trading addresses
- Business bank statements
- Accounts or management information
- Group-company structure
Processing information
Providers may request:
- Existing merchant statements
- Monthly card turnover
- Transaction numbers
- Average transaction value
- Maximum transaction value
- Refund levels
- Chargebacks
- Customer countries
- Card-present versus ecommerce sales
- Previous merchant providers
- Any previous decline or termination
Product information
This can be particularly important for CBD.
An underwriter may ask for:
- Complete product list
- Product URLs
- Ingredient lists
- CBD concentration
- Supplier invoices
- Manufacturer information
- Import information
- Product labels
- Batch documentation
- Certificates of analysis
- Controlled-cannabinoid testing
- Novel-food application details where applicable
A generic certificate for the ingredient may not necessarily answer questions about the actual finished product being sold.
Where possible, documentation should clearly connect the product on the website with its manufacturer, batch and regulatory evidence.
Certificates of analysis and laboratory testing
Certificates of analysis, often referred to as COAs, can be important in CBD underwriting.
They can help demonstrate what a product actually contains.
Depending on the product, testing might include:
- CBD concentration
- THC
- Other cannabinoids
- Contaminants
- Residual solvents
- Pesticides
- Heavy metals
- Microbiological testing
The FSA has previously commissioned analysis of CBD products looking at areas including cannabinoids, contaminants, pesticides, metals and extraction-related residues.
For payment underwriting, the important issue is often not simply possessing a laboratory report.
It is whether the report can be connected to:
the product being sold + the supplier + the relevant batch or formulation.
Your website forms part of the CBD merchant account application
CBD businesses sometimes concentrate heavily on company documents and forget that the underwriter is also likely to inspect the website.
The website should accurately explain:
- What is being sold
- Who is selling it
- Where the business is based
- Delivery times
- Returns
- Refunds
- Customer contact details
- Ingredients
- Product quantities
- Consumer information
- Relevant warnings
- Terms and conditions
The product descriptions should also match what was disclosed in the merchant account application.
Be extremely careful with CBD health claims
This is one of the biggest areas where an otherwise credible CBD application can become problematic.
The FSA stated in June 2026 that there are currently no authorised health claims for CBD foods and that CBD food businesses should not claim their products relieve pain, improve sleep or treat illness.
The ASA similarly warns businesses that unlicensed CBD products should not be presented as medicines or advertised using medicinal claims.
That means wording such as:
- Helps anxiety
- Treats insomnia
- Relieves arthritis
- Reduces inflammation
- Controls chronic pain
- Prevents illness
can create significant issues.
Payment providers may review:
- Product pages
- Blogs
- Testimonials
- Social-media accounts
- Influencer material
- Google ads
- Email marketing
Removing a claim from the checkout page while leaving the same claim across social media does not necessarily solve the problem.
Current FSA CBD guidance businesses should know
The FSA currently recommends that healthy adults consume no more than 10mg CBD per day from CBD food products.
It advises that vulnerable groups including under-18s, pregnant or breastfeeding people, people trying to conceive and people taking medication should avoid CBD unless under medical direction.
This is consumer-safety guidance rather than a payment rule.
However, payment providers assessing CBD merchants may look at:
- Product strength
- Recommended serving
- Labelling
- Consumer warnings
- Website information
because these help demonstrate how the business approaches product compliance.
Why CBD merchant account applications get declined
There is rarely one universal reason.
Common problems include:
The provider does not support CBD
Some acquiring banks simply exclude the sector.
A perfect application does not change a provider's risk policy.
The full product range was not disclosed
An application may be accepted for one product type but later reviewed when additional restricted products are discovered.
Product documentation is incomplete
The provider may not be able to establish:
- Where the product came from
- What it contains
- Who manufactured it
- Which application or regulatory route supports it
Website claims cause concern
Health or medicinal claims can alter how the product is viewed.
Cross-border sales are unclear
The provider may support UK CBD retail but not sales into all of the merchant's overseas markets.
The merchant has recently changed products
An established payment account does not automatically cover a materially different product range.
Previous termination has not been disclosed
Another provider may still consider the business, but it needs an accurate explanation of what happened.
Other restricted products are mixed into the range
For example, a CBD business may also sell:
- Vape products
- Other cannabinoids
- Supplements
- Subscription products
The entire website normally needs to fit within the provider's acceptable-use policy.
Already accepting CBD payments? Your current account may still be worth reviewing
Not every CBD business contacting MAS needs a new account because it has been declined.
Some already process successfully but have been with the same high-risk provider for several years.
That creates a different question:
Does the current CBD merchant account still represent good value?
CBD businesses often obtain their first account when they have:
- No merchant statements
- Limited turnover
- Short trading history
- Unproven chargeback levels
- Few provider options
The pricing and reserve agreed at that stage may reflect those circumstances.
A business may now have:
- Several years of processing
- Higher turnover
- Low chargebacks
- Better financials
- Stronger compliance processes
- Established suppliers
but still be paying the same original high-risk pricing.
That is a sensible point to review the market.
Can switching CBD merchant account save money?
Potentially.
There is no guarantee, because the replacement acquirer must still be comfortable with the CBD business.
But an established merchant may find differences in:
- Acquiring margin
- Fixed transaction fees
- Gateway pricing
- Monthly charges
- Settlement
- Rolling reserves
- International-card costs
- Currency charges
- Chargeback fees
The highest-value comparison is normally based on actual merchant statements, not an advertised rate.
For an established CBD merchant considering switching, MAS would ideally look at:
three recent merchant statements + current product range + website + current reserve and settlement terms.
That allows the cost question and the underwriting question to be considered together.
Don't move a CBD account purely because somebody quotes a cheaper rate
This is particularly important in CBD.
A new salesperson may offer an attractive headline price before the compliance team has reviewed:
- The complete website
- Product list
- COAs
- Novel-food evidence
- Countries
- Previous processing
That is not the same as having a properly approved CBD merchant account.
Before cancelling an existing facility, confirm that the replacement provider has knowingly underwritten the actual business.
For an established CBD business, continuity can be more valuable than saving a small amount on transaction fees.
Rolling reserves for CBD businesses
Some CBD merchants are asked to maintain a reserve.
This can mean a percentage of card turnover is held for a defined period to protect the acquirer against future liabilities.
Whether a reserve is required can depend on:
- Provider
- Trading history
- Financial strength
- Chargebacks
- Product profile
- Fulfilment
- Markets
- Previous processing
A CBD merchant that accepted a reserve when first launching can ask whether it remains necessary after developing a strong processing history.
Possible outcomes might include:
- Reduced reserve percentage
- Lower cap
- Shorter holding period
- Removal of the reserve
The provider is not required to agree.
However, the cash-flow effect should be included when comparing merchant accounts.
A provider charging slightly less but holding considerably more cash might not be the better commercial option.
CBD payment gateways
A merchant account and payment gateway perform different functions.
The acquiring account allows the business to accept and settle card transactions.
The payment gateway connects the ecommerce checkout to the payment infrastructure.
A CBD ecommerce business may therefore need both:
CBD-compatible acquiring + a CBD-compatible gateway.
Gateway requirements may include:
- Shopify or WooCommerce integration
- Hosted checkout
- APIs
- 3D Secure
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Payment links
- Fraud screening
- Tokenisation
- Recurring payments
- Reporting
A gateway integration working technically does not mean the underlying acquiring bank has approved CBD.
Both sides of the arrangement should support the business.
Shopify, WooCommerce and CBD payments
An ecommerce platform and the payment provider are separate considerations.
A merchant can potentially operate its website on a mainstream ecommerce platform while using an external payment gateway and acquiring arrangement suitable for CBD.
Before changing providers, check:
- Gateway integration (shopify, woocommerce etc)
- Plugin maintenance
- Checkout experience
- Digital wallets
- Refunds
- Webhooks
- Subscription functionality
- Stored payment tokens
- Fraud tools
Do not rebuild a functioning ecommerce website unnecessarily if the actual problem is the acquiring arrangement.
Fraud and chargebacks
CBD ecommerce merchants can face disputes for reasons including:
- Transaction not recognised
- Product not received
- Product not as described
- Subscription confusion
- Refund delays
- Customer dissatisfaction
- Delivery issues
Useful controls can include:
- 3D Secure
- Address verification where supported
- Fraud screening
- Delivery tracking
- Clear billing descriptors
- Accurate product descriptions
- Clear subscription terms
- Responsive customer service
- Rapid refund handling
- Good dispute evidence
Chargeback performance can influence both provider appetite and future pricing.
Subscription CBD businesses require additional care
Subscription or repeat-delivery CBD models introduce additional considerations.
The merchant should make clear:
- That the payment is recurring
- How often the customer will be charged
- How cancellation works
- When renewal occurs
- What appears on the card statement
- How customers manage subscriptions
The provider also needs to knowingly support recurring transactions.
Subscription complaints can become chargebacks quickly when consumers do not recognise repeat billing.
Selling CBD outside the UK
Cross-border CBD sales can make acquiring materially more complicated.
A product that can be sold through one regulatory route in England should not automatically be assumed to be permissible throughout Europe.
Within the EU, novel foods require pre-market authorisation through the applicable EU regime, while national rules and controlled-substance requirements can also affect individual markets.
A CBD merchant selling internationally should therefore be ready to identify:
- Customer countries
- Fulfilment location
- Product type
- Product ingredients
- Local regulatory position
- Currencies
- Refund arrangements
Payment providers may approve some markets and exclude others.
Do not use a payment provider's acceptance as evidence that selling the product into a particular country is lawful.
Can a CBD merchant have more than one payment provider?
Potentially.
A second acquiring route can sometimes be appropriate for:
- Larger merchants
- Multiple websites
- Different geographic markets
- Different legal entities
- Operational resilience
But every provider should know what it is processing.
A secondary account should never be used to:
- Hide CBD transactions
- Circumvent a provider prohibition
- Conceal chargebacks
- Process products another acquirer rejected
- Split turnover to avoid agreed limits
For many CBD businesses, one properly underwritten and appropriately priced account is preferable to several fragile arrangements.
What happens if a CBD merchant account is terminated?
Do not immediately submit applications to every high-risk provider available.
First establish why the account was closed.
Possible reasons include:
- The provider changed its CBD policy
- A compliance review identified concerns
- Products changed
- Website claims changed
- Turnover increased substantially
- Chargebacks rose
- Undisclosed markets were identified
- Product evidence could not be supplied
- New restricted products were introduced
- Previous underwriting information was inaccurate
Ask the provider, where possible, for:
- Reason for termination
- Effective closure date
- Information about held funds
- Reserve-release arrangements
- Refund arrangements
- Open chargebacks
Then gather the documentation a replacement provider will need.
MAS has a separate guide to terminated merchant accounts explaining the wider issues around replacement processing, MATCH and Visa merchant-screening systems.
MAS insight: a CBD merchant should be able to explain every product in the checkout
This is probably the simplest test of whether a CBD business is ready for acquiring review.
For every CBD product sold, could the merchant identify:
- What the product is
- Who manufactured it
- Who supplied it
- What cannabinoids it contains
- The relevant laboratory evidence
- The applicable regulatory route
- Where the product can be sold
- What claims can legally be made about it
If the answer is unclear, the payment provider may struggle with exactly the same questions.
Resolving those gaps before applying can prevent a great deal of unnecessary back-and-forth.
What should you compare when choosing a CBD payment provider?
Do not compare providers on price alone.
Product appetite
Confirm exactly which products are accepted.
Countries
Check where customers can be located.
Pricing
Compare:
- Transaction percentage
- Fixed transaction fee
- International cards
- Commercial cards
- Gateway fees
- Refund fees
- Chargeback fees
- Monthly charges
Settlement
Check:
- Settlement delay
- Weekend settlement
- Currency settlement
Reserve
Understand:
- Percentage
- Holding period
- Cap
- Release process
Technology
Confirm:
- Ecommerce integration
- Gateway
- Digital wallets
- Subscriptions
- Payment links
- Reporting
Contract
Check:
- Minimum term
- Notice period
- Exit charges
- Volume requirements
And most importantly:
obtain confirmation that the provider has knowingly accepted the actual CBD activity.
How Merchant Advice Service helps CBD businesses
Merchant Advice Service has experience helping businesses with restricted and more complex payment requirements, including CBD.
The objective is not to send an application everywhere.
It is to understand the merchant first and consider routes that fit the actual business.
MAS may help with:
New CBD merchant account applications
This includes understanding:
- Product type
- Sales channels
- Turnover
- Countries
- Website
- Processing requirements
before considering suitable providers.
Declined applications
A decline does not necessarily mean the business cannot obtain card processing.
The first question is why the original provider was unsuitable.
Established CBD businesses reviewing costs
Where a merchant already has card-processing history, MAS can consider its existing arrangement against potential alternatives.
This may include:
- Pricing
- Gateway costs
- Reserve
- Settlement
- Contract
- International processing
Switching existing CBD merchant accounts
Where another provider appears suitable, the new arrangement should be properly underwritten and tested before the existing facility is cancelled.
CBD payment gateways
MAS can also consider gateway requirements including:
- Ecommerce platforms
- Digital wallets
- Payment links
- Recurring payments
- Reporting
- Integrations
Final acceptance, pricing and terms remain with the payment provider.
Merchant Advice Service view
CBD is a good example of why a merchant should not choose a payment provider purely from a generic list of “high-risk processors”.
Different CBD businesses can sell very different products and operate across different markets. Merchant Advice Service recommends establishing exactly what is being sold, where customers are located, how products are described and what supporting documentation is available before considering provider options.
The goal should be a payment relationship that accurately reflects the real business, rather than obtaining an approval that may later prove unstable because important information was not understood at the outset.
What should you send MAS with a CBD enquiry?
You do not need to send every compliance document in the first message.
A useful starting point is:
- Company name
- Website
- Products sold
- Whether you manufacture, import, wholesale or retail
- Customer countries
- Monthly card turnover
- Average transaction value
- Maximum transaction value
- Ecommerce versus retail split
- Current provider
- Previous declines or termination
- Ecommerce platform
- Gateway requirements
For an established CBD business looking to switch or save money
Also include:
- Three recent merchant statements
- Existing pricing where known
- Current reserve
- Settlement period
- Contract end date
- Main reason for reviewing the account
This allows MAS to understand both the commercial opportunity and whether another provider is likely to support the product range.
What happens after contacting MAS?
The process normally starts with understanding the business.
For CBD merchants this may mean:
- Reviewing the website and product range
- Understanding the legal entity and supply chain
- Identifying where products are sold
- Reviewing current or expected processing
- Identifying technical requirements
- Considering appropriate providers
- Clarifying additional underwriting documents
- Making an introduction where appropriate
For an existing merchant switching provider, the current account should normally remain active while any replacement arrangement is reviewed, underwritten and tested.
This article provides general payments information rather than legal, food-safety, medicines or controlled-drug advice. CBD regulation depends on the exact product and market. Businesses should confirm their position with the appropriate regulator and obtain specialist legal advice where necessary.
FAQs
Can CBD businesses get merchant accounts in the UK?
Potentially, yes.
Some payment providers accept compliant CBD businesses while others exclude the sector. Approval depends on the product range, company, markets, compliance evidence and processing profile.
Why did my payment provider reject CBD?
The provider may not support CBD at all, or it may have concerns about particular products, countries, documentation, website claims or regulatory status. Ask for the reason where possible before submitting another application.
Is CBD legal in the UK?
Pure CBD itself is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, but CBD products can involve a number of different legal regimes. Products containing controlled cannabinoids can fall within controlled-drug legislation, and ingestible CBD products can be subject to novel-food requirements. Businesses should assess the actual product rather than relying on the general statement that “CBD is legal”.
What is the FSA CBD Public List?
It is the England and Wales register of CBD products linked to qualifying novel-food applications. Inclusion does not mean that the FSA has approved or endorsed the product.
Does the CBD Public List apply in Scotland?
No. Scotland has its own regulatory position administered by Food Standards Scotland. FSS currently states that CBD foods require novel-food authorisation and that no CBD food products have yet been authorised there.
Do CBD businesses need laboratory reports?
A payment provider may request product testing or certificates of analysis as part of underwriting. Requirements vary according to provider and product.
What is a CBD COA?
A Certificate of Analysis is a laboratory report showing information about the composition of a product or batch.
CBD providers may examine COAs as part of their compliance review.
Can I make health claims about CBD?
CBD foods should not be marketed with unauthorised health or medicinal claims. The FSA stated in 2026 that there are currently no authorised CBD health claims for food products, and the MHRA considers CBD products marketed for medical purposes to fall within medicines rules.
Can I use Shopify for a CBD business?
The ecommerce platform and payment service are separate considerations. A merchant should check the platform's current rules and use an acquiring and gateway arrangement that knowingly supports the products being sold.
Can CBD businesses use Stripe or PayPal?
Acceptable-use policies and product restrictions can change.
A merchant should check the provider's current policy against the exact products and sales markets rather than assume that all CBD activity is supported.
Are CBD merchant account fees higher?
They can be.
Fewer acquiring banks support CBD, which can affect pricing, reserves and contract terms. An established merchant with strong processing history may have more options than a newly launched business.
Can I reduce my CBD card-processing costs?
Possibly. If the business now processes significantly more than when the account was opened or has developed a strong processing record, it may be worth reviewing the current pricing and reserve. Savings cannot be guaranteed.
Should I cancel my current CBD payment provider before switching?
Normally, no. The replacement arrangement should first be fully underwritten, approved and technically tested.
Can a terminated CBD business obtain another account?
Potentially. The new provider will want to understand why the previous facility ended. Previous termination should be disclosed accurately.
Can CBD businesses sell internationally?
Potentially, but payment approval and product legality need to be considered separately. CBD rules differ between markets. The merchant should establish that its products can lawfully be supplied to each country and confirm that the payment provider supports those markets.
Can MAS guarantee CBD merchant account approval?
No. Every acquiring bank and payment provider applies its own underwriting and compliance requirements.
MAS can help businesses understand the available routes and make appropriate introductions, but approval cannot be guaranteed.
Written or reviewed by Libby James, founder of Merchant Advice Service and specialist in merchant payments and complex provider requirements.
