Alcohol Merchant Account
At PaymentCloud, we want to help unwind daily stressors, too — by providing the best merchant service accounts available to alcohol businesses.
- Quick Setup
- Budget-friendly Pricing
- Flexible Payment Options
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Security & Fraud Prevention
- Fast Processing Time
What Is an Alcohol Merchant Account?
Opening a beer, wine, or spirits operation in the U.S. requires the services of a payment provider, through which you'll need to set up a merchant account. This is a special financial account for accepting customer payments.
We have a team of experienced, dedicated account managers ready to help you discover the best payment solutions for your specific business operations. They can help you customize your merchant account for alcohol purchases, with integrations that work best for your business. Best of all, after approval, you’ll be processing payments as soon as possible.
Opening a beer, wine, or spirits operation in the U.S. requires the services of a payment provider, through which you'll need to set up a merchant account. This is a special financial account for accepting customer payments.
We have a team of experienced, dedicated account managers ready to help you discover the best payment solutions for your specific business operations. They can help you customize your merchant account for alcohol purchases, with integrations that work best for your business. Best of all, after approval, you’ll be processing payments as soon as possible.
Types of Alcohol Businesses We Support
We support all businesses making or selling alcohol products through business establishments or services that vend alcohol according to state restrictions. Supported products include:
- Nightclubs
- Alcohol Manufacturers
- Taverns
- Speakeasies
- Spirits Shops
- Pubs
- Alcohol Wholesalers
- Wineries
- Alcohol Importers
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Why Are Alcohol Merchants Considered High-Risk?
Alcohol merchants are often considered high-risk by financial institutions, payment processors, and regulatory bodies for a few different reasons.
Legality:
Age restrictions on alcohol, along with age verification protocols, can be challenging to enforce. While you can buy alcohol online in 48 out of 50 states (Alabama and Utah being the exceptions), many state and local statutes regulate the type, location, day of the week, and quantity of alcohol that can be purchased.
Fraud:
Alcohol is an industry where fraud can frequently occur, such as credit card fraud, as well as underage consumers attempting to make local and online alcohol purchases.
Chargebacks:
Disputes over chargebacks are the number one reason merchant accounts get canceled. Chargebacks are expensive, time-consuming, and scare off many financial institutions. Thus, industries with increased exposure to chargebacks are more high-risk (such as alcohol, tobacco, and other controlled substances).
Other liabilities:
These include alcohol-specific licensing requirements, tax collection, and non-compliance penalties.
Due to these inherent risks, alcohol merchants sometimes have difficulty obtaining payment processing services, loans, and insurance coverage. Mainstream payment service providers will often revoke accounts for businesses that vend in alcohol.
Working with a merchant service provider, like PaymentCloud who specializes in high-risk merchant services can help you and your business get set up for success. We can help you demonstrate strong compliance, implement robust age verification, set up robust fraud prevention measures, and establish a strong track record of responsible alcohol sales.
All this can help you secure payment services and mitigate the above risks from the start.
What Is Required for an Alcohol Merchant Account?
The standard documentation you'll need to open an alcohol business merchant account are:
A government-issued photo identification
A signed merchant application
A voided check or bank letter
Three months of bank statements
Three months of processing statements
A current certificate of analysis (COA)
A list of suppliers for your alcohol products
Alcohol Merchant Account Types
Online
For eCommerce solutions, PaymentCloud's state-of-the-art payment gateway equips you with everything you need to start accepting online payments securely. We offer safety, convenience, and a secure virtual terminal for accepting customer payment details via phone or email. Our virtual terminals’ easy interface makes it easier than ever to accept card-not-present payments.
In Person
If your alcohol business operates from a brick-and-mortar storefront, our retail payment solutions include some of the most easy-to-use stationary and mobile card readers on the market. We can help you accept payments easily from your kiosk or storefront!
Over the Phone
Offer your customers the convenience of a secure virtual terminal to accept over-the-phone payments from your customers via phone and email. Our user-friendly interface makes it easier than ever to accept card-not-present payments.
How To Benefit from Alcohol Merchant Services
Working with one of our qualified account representatives specializing in alcohol sales is like having a financial expert on your team. Complex industries under government regulation can be hard to navigate otherwise. Getting expert guidance as you work through it can help you mitigate some of the risks involved.
Many popular payment aggregators prohibit alcohol sales, potentially resulting in the inconvenience and cost of account termination following a review that may occur up to a month later.
Thus, partnering with a merchant services provider like PaymentCloud specializing in high-risk industries can set you up with a successful, worry-free, compliance-ready business.
How PaymentCloud Can Help
PaymentCloud trains our staff on the specific rules and regulations of each high-risk industry, like alcohol and tobacco. An experienced account manager helps to ensure your secure merchant account is 100% compliant with every industry regulation. In fact, alcohol sellers can often qualify faster, easier, and at more competitive rates than ever before.
Finally, when you partner with PaymentCloud, you also partner with our large network of payment solution providers and merchant resources. Easily connecting you with the broader financial universe with expert integrations to smooth your workflow.
Alcohol Payment Processing Integrations
Speaking of an almost endless number of integrations that work seamlessly with the tools and systems you already use—PaymentCloud's got them. Look for an array of partnerships, including industry-leading payment gateways, the most popular eCommerce platforms on the market, website platform integrations, and compatibility with your pre-existing accounting software. If you don't see your preferred integration, just ask! We're here to help you streamline all your merchant operations, payment systems, and business finances so you can stay focused on what's ahead. Call today!
Get Started
Fill out a merchant account form today and start processing tomorrow!
What Our Merchants Think
With a proud average of 4.8 stars across all review sites, PaymentCloud excels in solutions and support. But don’t take our word for it! Here’s what our merchants have to say:
Anthony L.
What an amazing experience the setup process was and there was communication getting the account all set up. I am extremely satisfied with how effortless the process was.
Gavin S.
The whole process was easy! Our account representative, Gregory Bennett explained the process very well. He took care of any issues that arose.
Matt W.
Our experience with PaymentCloud was amazing. Each individual we worked with and helped us with set up was kind, courteous, listened, and was easily understood. They made the entire process the easiest I have ever experienced with similar companies. I could not be a happier camper!
