Brick-and-mortar vape and e-liquid retail processing without surprise terminations.
Vape and e-liquid retail is high-risk by network policy. We place direct merchant accounts with banks that openly accept the vertical and run age-verification at the register so you stay compliant with PACT Act and state-level requirements.
Most aggregators (Stripe, Square, PayPal) prohibit vape and nicotine product sales outright. Vape retailers that get approved on those rails almost always wake up to an account hold once the underwriting team catches up. We place vape merchants with acquirers that openly serve the vertical, run age-verification at the register (driver's license scan + DOB check), file PACT Act monthly reports where required, and keep the merchant inside Visa's Brand Risk Reduction program rules. Card-present rates run 3.0-3.6%; online rates run higher and require additional documentation including FDA premarket authorization status for any e-liquid SKU.
Both prohibit nicotine and vape products in their acceptable use policy. Some shops slip through approval, but accounts typically get terminated within 3-9 months once the merchant's transaction descriptors trigger the risk team's review. Direct merchant accounts at vape-friendly acquirers are the stable path.
Yes, with additional documentation. Online vape requires age verification at checkout (third-party AV like AgeID or Veratad), PACT Act compliance for interstate shipments, and FDA PMTA documentation for any e-liquid SKU sold. Online vape rates run 4.0-5.0% effective with potential reserves; we walk you through the underwriting file before submission.
Smoke shops mixing vape, kratom, 7-OH, Delta-8, and CBD need a single account that covers the full product mix. We underwrite the full SKU list up front so a vape audit does not get triggered the first time someone rings up a kratom shot, and vice versa.