Major shift towards plastic money in recent years means businesses cannot afford to continue accepting payments in cash only. Variety should not just be limited to services and products offered by a business but also payment options.
In order to accept credit cards, you need a merchant account. Now obtaining a merchant account is fairly simple unless your business comes under the high risk category. And if you are a merchant selling CBD, you are almost guaranteed an outright refusal from a regular bank or processor even though you operate in a lucrative industry worth millions which is only expected grow further and predicted to reach 1,182.65 million by the end of 2024 at 31.26% CAGR.
Not all hope is lost because there are several reputed merchant account providers who are willing to take on your CBD business. But how do you choose the right one for you? Here are a few tips to follow while looking for a CBD Merchant Account:
Payment Options –
While credit card processing is an obvious choice, it is not the only choice of payment. There are several payment options that you can opt for when looking for a CBD Merchant account.
You also need to consider what suits your business the best. If you are a CBD store planning to expand into the e-commerce space in the future, you need to look for online payment processing solutions. So before settling on one, make sure they offer all the possible options you might need so you don’t have to waste time looking for another one in case your current provider isn’t enough.
But if you only need a POS Terminal to accept payments, you don’t want to end up paying for extra services you don’t even need.
Additional features –
Chargeback protection tools, fraud prevention measures, PCI DSS compliance, 3D secure payment gateway, etc are some of the important features that a CBD merchant account provider should be able to provide. You will need a provider who will be willing to offer features that are customized to suit your business requirements.
Charges –
When you approach a processor for a CBD merchant account, they will shoo you away or charge unreasonable rates. Most merchants in a desperate attempt are then forced to pay higher processing fees.
Now bear in mind that you will be charged higher than other non-risky businesses. However, it also becomes important to negotiate in such cases. Different processors offer different pricing plans based on the kind of business you are and the type of payments you receive. Compare the prices of several other processors, understand the rate structure and only then settle for the one who offers the best services at a fair price.
Specialized Processor with stable bank partners –
Since CBD merchants deal with legal matters on the regular, a processor who is experienced and understands the industry will prove to be a helpful partner in the long run. They will also be lenient and are more prone to accepting your merchant account application.
Customer Support –
Effective and reliable customer support is important regardless of the type of business you operate. But it becomes all the more important in case of CBD business who deal in large processing volumes regularly. In case of any emergency, good customer support will provide solution on time.
Obtaining a CBD merchant account might be a task but keep in mind these tips and you might actually end up finding one that will only assist you in growing your business further.
