Is selling CBD oil products on Shopify permitted?

Maiiven
Tourist
4 0 8

Hello! I just wanted to share that until 3 months ago, I had no idea that it was not allowed to sell CBD oil products using  Paypal or Stripe. 

 

I'm a soapmaker and bath bomb maker. I wanted to start making bath bombs with CBD Oil in them. I was on Squarespace and Paypal froze my account.

 

Ugh. 

 

This forced me to do some digging and after looking at half a dozen payment merchants I went with InclusivePay.  I know that a lot of other people might find themselves in the same boat.

Replies 164 (164)

Nick
Shopify Staff (Retired)
4531 434 1024

Hi @Maiiven,

 

Nick here from Shopify. 

 

Thanks for sharing this, hopefully, it will help some other store owners in similar situations as yourself. 

 

It's always good to do some research on different payment gateways especially when selling a product to do with skincare as a lot of payment gateways can be strict with their rules and regulations with regards to that industry. 

 

For anyone who's interested you can find the Shopify Payments terms of service here as well as the list of payment gateways, Shopify is partnered with for each country here

 

All the best, Nick

To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Community Blog.

AustinPayhub
Shopify Partner
5 0 0

Hey!

 

That's so frustrating! We hear about that happening so often.  We are a US based merchant services provider and are taking proactive action to help businesses like yours not be without credit card processing! If you have any questions or need any assistance when it comes to getting your merchant account back up and running please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly: austin@payhubpayments.com.

 

Thank you! 

dannycohen81
New Member
26 0 0

Hi,

 I work with Best Merchant Services, here we help merchants from Shopify get up and running by leveraging our relationships with banks to help high risk merchants get approvals. 

Email me if you have any questions:

danny@bestmerchantservices.com

Regards,

Danny 

apoorvjoshi
Tourist
10 0 0

When you need a CBD merchant account, one of the things you’ll notice is all the credit card processors that are going to refuse to give you one. It’s a real problem for people who sell CBD edibles, hemp and cannabis oil, and other items in the marijuana industry. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be a problem for you any longer. Click Link will work with you on opening a CBD high-risk merchant account and keeping your account alive.

apoorvjoshi
Axxess
New Member
6 0 0

Is this account compatible with shopify and would it work for us in UK

dijitultom
New Member
4 0 0

@Maiiven Hello! We also understand the challenges of being able to take payments for CBD products online. Many merchant accounts claim to support taking payments for CBD products but are in fact limited to a certain type of CBD product, not the whole range.  
We have spent the last few months working on a suite of solutions to cover payments and marketing that fully support CBD products in all forms. Have a look at our CBD Payment Gateway for more information and apply today!

Hunter_H
Tourist
3 0 4

We CANNOT provide merchant accounts for CBD flowers!

IntegrityPayJD
Shopify Partner
23 0 11

If you are looking for a merchant solution for CBD flowers, please send me a message. I have the solution that will process flowers.

IntegrityPay, Expert Web Developer, High-Risk Processor, CBD Consultant, Merchant Processor, & Shopify Partner
TyW
Community Manager
451 63 1206

Hi @Maiiven 

Shopify enables merchants to sell a broad range of products. For more information specific to selling hemp-derived CBD products in the United States, please visit: http://bit.ly/2QgweKN.

TyW | Online Community Manager @ Shopify 
 - Was my reply helpful? Click Like to let me know! 
 - Was your question answered? Mark it as an Accepted Solution
 - To learn more visit the Shopify Help Center or the Shopify Blog

ezdesigner
Shopify Partner
3 0 2
Yes, but you still can't use Shopify payments. That is bull...
IntegrityPayJD
Shopify Partner
23 0 11

 

@TyW, Why is Shopify misleading people?

 

There is nothing new in this announcement. Shopify STILL DOES NOT ALLOW PAYMENT PROCESSING.

 

And to all the new people finding this - stay away from Emerchant Broker - that solution is Greenbox + Pinwheel and you will lose out on a lot of money!

IntegrityPay, Expert Web Developer, High-Risk Processor, CBD Consultant, Merchant Processor, & Shopify Partner
kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

You are 100% correct, CBDConcierge.

 

Having access to a great website design platform is one thing, but the ability to accept credit card transaction on this platform as a CBD seller is another.

Shopify's payments policy remains the same. It strictly prohibits the sale of hemp-derived CBD using Shopify Payments.  

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner
Kyle-PayKings
Shopify Partner
9 0 5

@IntegrityPayJD  It seems that Shopify is marketing for CBD to illustrate the fact that they do in fact allow CBD to be sold on Shopify, but you have to bring your own processor that's integrated with Shopify. Is that accurate @TyW ?

Affiliation Disclosure: I am the President at PayKings - A high-risk payment processing company.
ezdesigner
Shopify Partner
3 0 2
That is correct.
WellnessBrand
Visitor
1 0 0

What merchant account do you recommend for a startup CBD company?

CityHemp
Visitor
2 0 0
What is the CBD payment processing provider that works with CBD flowers?
Maiiven
Tourist
4 0 8

Wow, it's crazy how many people are on this thread. I'm glad it's helping people.  My friend who sells flower went through InclusivePay 

 

I only sell cbd skincare but so far so good! Crazy good rates too. I got  IC+ 2%.  That is only for products that go on your skin - not in your mouth.  

 

You can email them at hello@inclusivepay.com.  They have some great videos on their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/inclusivepay/

kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

Hi City Hemp,

 

Google Pay works fabulously for those who sell hemp-flower. I have a ton of clients that are using Google Pay to sell hemp-flower and not one single account has been shut down nor experienced a problem. The method we use to activate Google Pay as a checkout option is fully compliant with Shopify's Payment Policy.

 

It's important to keep in mind that anytime you're selling a questionable "high risk" such as CBD flower you cannot engage Shopify as a payment option.


@CityHemp wrote:
What is the CBD payment processing provider that works with CBD flowers?

 

Happy Selling,

Kevin James

Shopify Approved Partner

Certified Full-Stack Developer / Coder

 

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner
Axxess
New Member
6 0 0

Are you guys compatible with shopify? i know you are on shopify answering but i have had a few refusals right at the end after providing all the information, no one seems to be compatible with shopify

ResoluteCBD
Excursionist
18 0 6
Square is your only option on Shopify.
LForward1
Tourist
33 0 1

Ohh, I would love to work for your company because I just love CBD oil and use it all the time! It seems to me that this will be a great advantage for me :))
I used to use cbd oil in its pure form, but I didn’t really like the taste and then I decided to find cbd in a different form and found out that there are cartridges for vape with cbd oil. I found them on knockoutcbd.com and regularly order large quantities of cartridges. It will help a lot to relax. I hope you do not ignore my request :))

banned

MarkSands
New Member
8 0 0

You may want to check out HRMA-LLC  specializing in CBD Merchant Account Processing

They are offering cbd merchant account solutions for both eCommerce and retail merchants.

Hope That Helps.
Mark S.

 

 

 

kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

June 2, 2019

 

As of this post, there are only two (2) US domestic banks that offer credit card processing to hemp-based CBD sellers. I'm not referring to banks that sell e-wallets, e-check services or UK processing. Instead, I'm referring about banks here in the USA willing to support CBD sellers with real credit card processing solutions.

 

Yes. You can get a CBD merchant account and it won't violate Shopify Policy. I know these services work because we have hundreds of 'live' websites selling CBD right now.

 

  • The processing rates are 2.25% (above true interchange) + $.20 cents per transaction.
  • Visa, MasterCard, AMEX & Discover Card accepted from your customers
  • Next day deposit and availability of funds
  • New start-up businesses gladly accepted!
  • No previous merchant processing history required
  • No 'rolling reserve' hold on funds and fear of getting shut down.
  • To avoid getting rejected, your website must comply with strict underwriting guidelines. I will forward those guidelines to you.

If you need more information, just email me.

 

Happy Selling,

Kevin James

Certified Front-end Developer | eCommerce Expert

Approved Shopify Developer

(303) 257-4484

kevin@kjproweb.com

 

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner
Nick_Hulsing
Visitor
1 0 0

Kevin, 

 

What are the 2 processors that you are referring to in your comments?  I need to find someone quickly - we added CBD to our medical equipment lineup and now I'm told that I have to remove them or find a new processor.  I am not going to remove them, so looking for a good, fair, processor to help me out.

kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

Hi Nick,

I sent you a private message that answered your question in detail. Feel free to get with me at your convenience.

 

For other CBD sellers facing a similar crisis and have an urgent need for credit card acceptance, I strongly recommend Google Pay.

 

  1. Google Pay, when activated as an individual account holder, not a business, can be integrated into a Shopify store within two hours time. Your problem is solved.
  2. Approval time with Google Pay is instant. Simply visit https://pay.google.com and store a bank-issued debit card into their system and fill out your profile. It takes less than five minutes to get this done.
  3. Here's the amazing part. The contractual "Terms and Conditions of Use" grant you permission to sell all "legal" products. Indeed, that covers CBD. Not one single Google Pay user has had their account shut down nor their funds frozen in over a year. I've put close to 300 CBD sellers on board with Google Pay.
  4. To integrate Google Pay into your Shopify store in a manner that does not violate Shopify Payments Policy, you will need to know a little HTML code and JavaScript. If you don't code, give me a call or reach out to Shopify Developer. Coding is what I do all day long.
  5. With Google Pay there is no application fee, no transaction fees, no discount rates, and no monthly fees! If you sell $200.00 worth of product, exactly $200.00 lands in your bank account. If you're busy signing up for Google Pay right now, kick yourself.

 

I'll also give a positive shout out to Emerchant Broker (EMB) for doing an awesome job of helping CBD sellers. In late September of 2019, EMB became a Shopify approved payment processor. EMB offers CBD-friendly merchant accounts to businesses in nations all over the globe. I'm getting clients approved and activated inside of 7 to 10 days. time. Got questions? Send me private message.

 

Happy Selling,

Kevin James

Owner of KJ Proweb

(303) 257-4484

Expert Full-Stack Developer & Shopify Partner

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner
CityHemp
Visitor
2 0 0
I'll definitely be reaching out soon
CBDReliefco
Shopify Partner
2 0 1

I appreciate all the info, @kjproweb, but how can you code Google Pay to directly accept payment through Shopify's checkout as it is a secure page? I'm looking for an alternative to my current processing, but I'd like it to be a one-step process and not something where once I get an order, I have to go out of my way to send my customer an invoice through Google Pay?

 

Thanks,

Steve

kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

Hi CBDRelief Co,

 

To change, modify or add code to the checkout page of your Shopify website, here's what you need to do:

 

  1. Log into your website management dashboard and scroll down to the middle of the page and click the "Online Store" menu option.
  2. When it opens up, click on "Themes".
  3. Now, you will see the theme that you've chosen for your website.
  4. Scroll over to the left side of your screen. Notice the large button that says, 'Actions'.

Right there underneath the Actions tab is where you will see the 'EDIT CODE' option.

 

Be very careful when trying to edit or modifying actual code to your Shopify store! If you don't have a basic familiarity with writing HTML code and JavaScript don't mess with it. If you create a mess you'll end up hiring an expert developer/coder like myself to fix it. The average rate per hour charged by Shopify Developers can vary from $75.00 USD up to $200.00 USD per hour. And we keep very busy thanks to thousands who mess up their website code.

 

Fortunately, Shopify provides some excellent resources and tools. Here's a Shopify provided link that teaches you how to properly edit, add-to, or change code within your theme.

 

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/using-themes/change-the-layout/theme-code#before-you-customize-yo...

 

Happy Selling,

Kevin James

Certified Front-end Developer/Expert Coder

Shopify Approved Partner

kevin@kjproweb.com

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner
Kine
Tourist
4 0 1

@kjproweb , How can you enable Google Pay without having Shopify as a payment processor?

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
To my knowledge You can't. Alternative and thrid party gatwaways don't offer it... I don't know if You can have it as manual payment......
Kine
Tourist
4 0 1

@JAH5, that's what I thought.  But somehow read @kjproweb's post to indicate that there was a workaround.  

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
You can read all through these fourms and find a "work around" for anything that's on Shopify I doubt you'll find that works for you
BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

Has anyone had any actual legitimate luck with DigiPay or EMB?

 

Two days ago one of the risk analysts emails me saying they noticed me uploading cod items to my store which is not yet live.

ONLY less than 10% of the items in my store will be CBD and all topical - so when I asking about using the regular gateway for those, and then following up again, I still have no answer.

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
If you want to sell cbd you must only sell cbd even if it's just topicals. Digipay claims that work with cbd but it's been over a month they never contacted me as for EMB they say they do as well. But they actually don't they send you to a third party of these that do but the fees are skyhigh and again you need to have only cbd
BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

Thanks, that's what I figured - what's wild is that it was easier for me to work in the cannabis industry in 2018 than it is in hemp in 2019. 

As long as those greedy dudes are going to be running this, I'm going to have to rethink strategy.

 

If I am selling a complete lifestyle, I should not have to separate the items that live within it. One would think that Shopify as a platform would be leading the way in this and a bit more progressive when it comes to this, but unfortunately not I guess.

 

Thanks for the info though!

BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

I bet if I change the description to hemp oil, all will be fine...

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
That will not work
BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

It seems to work on Amazon and the likes - type in CBD and items that showed as cBD months ago all now say Hemp.

 

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
I seen what you said about Amazon. It seem to work but who know if that's will work with Shopify you see?

I used to have hemp oil soap in my store I had to remove it.. still told me no afterwards that was early November
JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
I completely understand it's really not Shopify it's the banks and providers in the industry Honestly the merchant services are hell to work with so far I'm still fighting for approval in my aromatic head shop(no cbd no hemp no cannabis or tobacco)

I my store was denied for having plant based resin incense not realted to hemp ,cbd or cannabis.

The little things gets you a no. But Keep up the good fight!!
BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

Thanks @JAH5 - same to you!! 🙂

CBDReliefco
Shopify Partner
2 0 1

Reach out to PayKings (https://www.paykings.com/). I have been accepted with reasonable rates. I am currently waiting for integration on my site.

BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

The most frustrating part is seeing the term "high risk" on all of these merchant sites that will apparently work with "CBD" companies - for crying out loud there are cannabinoids and terpenes in the fruit and vegetables we eat everyday - it would take a larger volume, but you could literally extract CBD from any other produce as well...it's all about greed and lack of education and research - and the powers that keep it that way - effin ridiculous!

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
Honestly at this point I think it's just a advertisement. Don't expect any luck especially with a new business that isn't open yet. I went/ still going through this now
JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
His work around is manual payment because simply put less regulated you can add Google pay as a manual payment but to my knowledge it's gonna be a few extra step for the customer and most customer don't wanna even use that kind of payment method they just don't trust it.. even sezzle customer don't trust it....
kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

Hi Jah5,

 

Yes, there are several payment acceptance solutions that work great. I am actually posting step-by-step instructions on how to accept credit card or debit card payments from customer via your website --- without violating Shopify's Payments Policy.

 

Before moving forward, the first thing I encourage merchants to do is understand there legal responsibilities. For example, as of October 15, 2019, it is a federal crime to sell CBD-infused foods via interstate commerce. As authorized ISO/rep for Emerchant Broker and several US domestic merchant services providers that support hemp/CBD, it's frustrating trying to help merchants comply with the law when they don't even know these laws exist and some don't care to know.

 

Kevin James

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner
BKay7
Excursionist
12 0 5

@kjproweb what about topical items only that are not ingested?

JAH5
Excursionist
25 0 5
Manual payment will not work my industry understand that or don't. I asked friend familiar co-worker and potential customer via pos they do not trust manual payment methods. Sezzle as well they did not trust to buy from because they never heard of it. I don't have cbd , hemp , cannabis , food , ingestible , or tobacco in my store. The you can keep naming that same providers I tried they either said no or didn't respond EMB sent me to a thrid party with high fees that will kill any low volume store
kjproweb
Shopify Partner
138 8 25

Sorry JAH5,

 

You are incorrect my friend. Manual Payment methods do work if your web developer knows what he or she is doing. For example, https://vapordna.com

 

You are looking a successful merchant selling a wide variety of CBD oils, topicals, CBD-infused edibles, drinks... you name it. They do it in a manner that complies with Shopify policy. They listed to expert advise, followed instruction and now they're enjoying success.

 

The most effective manual integration method should include writing the HTML, JavaScript and API code instructions directly into your Shopify theme AND in the checkout page settings where it asks you to enter "additional scripts".  That's the key.

 

This is how 'Buy Now' buttons are made visible. If you don't know how to do this then hire a Shopify partner/developer to do it for you.

 

I'm not here to debate, but offer solutions. I am a certified full-stack developer and expert coder. For the last 17 years this has been my line of work. If you need help, that's what we're here for.

 

Happy Selling,

Kevin James

Kevin James
Expert Web Developer & Shopify Partner