High-risk payment gateways · UK
Payment gateways that say yes to CBD & vape
CBD and vape are classed as “high risk” by the card schemes, which is why PayPal, Stripe, Shopify Payments and most high-street acquirers decline you — or approve you and freeze the money later. We arrange merchant accounts and gateways that will genuinely underwrite your products, then integrate and test them in your store.
Who says no, and who says yes
Correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Providers change their risk appetite; we confirm the live position for every client.
Will not process UK CBD / vape
- PayPal — CBD prohibited; vape requires pre-approval that is rarely granted to small merchants.
- Stripe — CBD and e-cigarette products on the restricted list for UK accounts.
- Shopify Payments — excludes CBD, vape and e-liquid in the UK.
- Square, SumUp, Zettle, GoCardless — restricted or prohibited.
- Most high-street bank acquirers — decline at underwriting or exit later.
Will consider, subject to underwriting
- Specialist high-risk acquirers and gateways such as Viva Wallet, Trust Payments and Total Processing, among others.
- ISOs and payment facilitators with dedicated CBD / vape programmes.
- Open-banking (pay-by-bank) providers as a secondary, lower-fee method.
- Buy-now-pay-later is generally unavailable for the category; we’ll tell you honestly.
What we do
Pre-underwriting review
Product pages, lab reports, terms, refund policy, age verification and company details checked against what underwriters want to see — before you apply.
Provider selection
The right acquirer for your product mix, volume and platform, with realistic fees and rolling-reserve expectations explained up front.
Application support
We prepare the pack and liaise with the provider so the application goes through first time rather than bouncing for weeks.
Integration
Gateway installed on Shopify, WooCommerce or custom; 3-D Secure, wallets, tokenised repeat billing and fraud rules configured.
Redundancy
A second route kept warm so a policy change at one provider doesn’t stop your trading.
Testing & monitoring
End-to-end test transactions, decline-rate monitoring and chargeback advice after launch.
What underwriters look for
Getting approved is mostly about presentation and paperwork. High-risk underwriters typically want to see:
- A live or staging website with clear product descriptions, pricing, delivery, returns and contact details
- Certificates of analysis for CBD products, and evidence of Novel Foods status where relevant
- No medicinal claims anywhere on the site
- Age verification for vape (and often for CBD)
- Company registration, director ID, bank statements and processing history if you have it
- Realistic projected volumes and average order values
Expect higher fees than a mainstream provider (typically a few percent plus a per-transaction charge), possibly a rolling reserve in the early months, and a settlement delay of a few days. We’ll explain the numbers before you commit.
Already trading on a mainstream gateway? Don’t wait for the freeze. We can put a compliant route in place alongside your current one, so you switch on your terms rather than theirs.
Payment gateway FAQs
Why do PayPal and Stripe refuse CBD businesses?
Card schemes classify CBD and vape as high-risk categories because of regulatory uncertainty, chargeback rates and reputational concerns. Mainstream providers apply blanket bans rather than underwriting each merchant; specialist acquirers underwrite individually and price for the risk.
How long does it take to get a CBD or vape merchant account?
Usually one to three weeks once the application pack is complete, which is why we start it on the first day of a project.
What fees should I expect?
Higher than mainstream — rates vary by provider, volume and product mix. Some providers hold a rolling reserve (a percentage of takings held for a period) initially. We compare options and explain the total cost, not just the headline rate.
Can I use the gateway on Shopify?
Yes — several high-risk gateways have Shopify integrations. See Shopify for CBD & vape.
Do you charge for arranging the gateway?
Gateway arrangement is included in our ecommerce builds and startup packages, and available as a standalone service for existing stores.