Tobacco & Cigar Merchant Account
If you’re operating a tobacco or cigar business, you may face difficulty obtaining a tobacco merchant account. At PaymentCloud, we proudly offer payment solutions to tobacco and cigar merchants!
- Fast Underwriting
- Competitive Pricing
- Quick Setup
- Secure Processing
- Seamless Integrations
- Dedicated Customer Support
What Is a Tobacco Merchant Account?
A tobacco merchant account enables retailers to receive payments made with credit and debit cards for their products. However, opening a tobacco merchant account can be difficult due to the high-risk nature of the industry. At PaymentCloud, our representatives are experts in the tobacco industry and can assist you with obtaining a merchant account. Our payment solutions are personalized around your business’s specific needs and operations.
A tobacco merchant account enables retailers to receive payments made with credit and debit cards for their products. However, opening a tobacco merchant account can be difficult due to the high-risk nature of the industry. At PaymentCloud, our representatives are experts in the tobacco industry and can assist you with obtaining a merchant account. Our payment solutions are personalized around your business’s specific needs and operations.
Types of Cigars & Tobacco Businesses We Support
- Cigars
- Loose leaf tobacco
- Tobacco
- Chewing tobacco
- Hookah
- Nicotine
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Why Are Tobacco Merchants Considered High Risk?
A combination of factors surrounding tobacco—such as health concerns, their addictive nature, and strong governmental regulations—make tobacco merchants a reputational risk in the eyes of financial institutions. Thankfully, PaymentCloud is a leader in connecting businesses with high-risk merchant accounts . Regardless of industry, we are committed to offering your business credit card processing.
What Is Required for a Cigar & Tobacco Merchant Account?
As with any merchant account, underwriting requires basic information and documentation to assess the financial state of a company. These documents include:
- Tobacco License
- Photo ID & SSN
- Voided check or bank letter
- Articles of incorporation
- Employer identification number (EIN)
- Registration fees with Mastercard and VISA
- A legal opinion letter signed by an attorney stating that you agree to follow Mastercard and Visa regulations
- Age verification on your eCommerce website
- Identification verification upon delivery
Tobacco Merchant Account Types
Online
Due to the difficulty of verifying many aspects of an online customer, the most restrictive payment processing method for tobacco retailers is eCommerce. Given the high probability of transaction fraud for online stores, eCommerce is subject to higher credit card processing fees from card brands and processors. However, PaymentCloud provides online payment solutions for eCommerce merchants in the tobacco industry at the most competitive rates available.
Retail
The lowest risk of all tobacco merchant accounts are retail merchant accounts. Card-present transactions are seen as less risky because they provide the added layer of security of the store clerk verifying the age and identification of the customer. Additionally, almost every type of tobacco sale for flavored vape pods is permitted in the retail environment. For retail merchants, you may choose between plenty of point-of-sale options for your retail tobacco business.
Over the phone
Manually-entered card transactions for tobacco products are subject to higher costs and the same shipment regulations as online transactions. With an over-the-phone or MOTO merchant account, PaymentCloud supplies your tobacco business with a payment gateway for additional security.
How To Benefit from Tobacco Merchant Services
With so many external factors actively impacting the profitability of the tobacco industry, the wisest move is to set yourself up to reap the maximum amount of revenue. Accepting credit cards removes potential roadblocks so you can get more tobacco sales, whether you have an established or brand new business. Additionally, the ability to take cards grants your business access to the online marketplace, which vastly expands its potential customer base.
How PaymentCloud Helps You Secure Online Tobacco Credit Card Processing
Our years of experience as a leader in the high-risk payments industry have given us the expertise necessary to streamline the application and underwriting process. Our knowledgeable account managers are at your service to help gather documents, provide answers, and advise on any questions that you may have, as well as provide real-life customer support should any issues arise with your account.
At PaymentCloud, we pair you with the payment solution offering the greatest support for your tobacco business’s needs. Each of our merchants processing payments develops a personalized solution that helps reduce risk and maintain dependable processing. Some of these solutions include:
- Brokering changes imposed by the acquiring banks
- Secure MOTO and in-house integrated payment gateways
- Maintaining compliance with onsite changes
- Risk monitoring solutions to detect and prevent fraud
- Chargeback mitigation services
Tobacco Payment Processing Integrations
Whether you'd like to provide your customers with recurring payment options, offer contactless and mobile payment solutions, or connect your payment solutions to your existing CRM software, PaymentCloud provides you with a seamless integration experience. We streamline this process with in-house procedures expediting the application process. And by customizing the payment processing application for each of our tobacco and cigar merchants, we can integrate solutions based on your specific needs.
Get Started With Us Today
If you’re ready to take your cigar business to the next level, PaymentCloud’s payment services are the perfect solution. Get in touch with our representatives today!
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:
Shae P.
From day one, Miles has been an overwhelming help to me in making sure I am making the best choices for building my business. His patience with me as he helped me step by step in submitting my application was so appreciated! …The team has been amazing across the board, and I truly cannot thank them enough!
Michelle H.
I've been working with the folks at PaymentCloud for about two weeks now. They have made it super easy and they guide you through everything! Their customer service and support is awesome! I'm so glad that we connected with Michael S. and all the other folks at PaymentCloud. Highly recommend!
Alexis H.
The agent who helped me onboard was attentive and consistent throughout the process... They made sure I knew how to manage my accounts and had them properly set up and in compliance. They turned what could’ve been an intimidating process riddled with errors into a smooth transition for my business.
