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Head Shops and Vape Merchant Accounts

Published March 16, 2023

Updated September 30, 2024

4 min read
Head Shops and Vape Merchant Accounts

Understanding Vape Merchant Accounts and Smoke Shop Payment Processing

Head shops, better known as "smoke shops" are considered high risk merchants. This has resulted in many more businesses needing a vape merchant account. The vaping industry and related products have seen many changes over the years. Smoke shop merchants face many legal obligations before they can even start selling products.

Banks consider head shops and smoke shops liabilities for several reasons. One factor is age restriction. This requires head shops to make sure that they are selling to adults that are legally able to make these purchases. The recent legal change provides even more of a concern. Now the vape customers must be 21 years old to purchase nicotine or smoking items.

Vape Shops For Travelers

Traveling with smoke accessories is a major issue not only for merchants but also for consumers. Regulations in airline travel make vacationers reluctant to bring their favorite vapes and paraphernalia. When e-cigarette users get off the plane, they're anxious to go find some alternatives. Their next move is to type in "smoke shop near me" and/or "best smoke shops near me" into their smartphone. Google Maps shows you the closest route to vape shops in their area.

Head Shop Payment Processing

Shops in tourist areas can receive a lot of foot traffic. However, keeping a customer means more than having a great location. Presentation, customer service and product quality is key. Shops that are equipped with a variety of vaping products like pipes, and glasses have an advantage. After showcasing your glassware and educating the customer. All that's left is the purchase. And this is where some vape merchants struggle. If you're not equipped with the right payment processing account, a customer may abandon the sale. Luckily, new regulations allow for card transactions in the vape industry. This gives vendors the freedom to accept cards both online and in their retail shop.

E-Cigarette Merchant Account Solutions

Products such as e-cigarettes, paraphernalia, hookahs and bongs are not items that banks like to work with. So merchants have a lot to consider when opening or operating a head shop. Payment processors are hesitant to accept these types of businesses but PayKings has merchant solutions for ecommerce and brick-and-mortar smoke shops.

Customers like options, especially when it comes to the way they pay. Research suggests that people spend more when using cards rather than cash. So cig merchant accounts are essential when it comes to finalizing credit card processing. A vape shop is considered to be in a high risk industry, therefore they will need a reliable payment processor with a registered ISO MSP.

Payment Gateway for Vape

Setting up a payment gateway so that a vape merchant can start accepting credit cards can be stressful. Business owners should consider the benefits associated with selling smoking accessories. Making a return on an investment becomes a daunting task when consumers can't make purchases.

Your business will inevitably need a vape merchant account. In order to understand the vaping and e cigarette industry better, it is important to be familiar with the various kinds of vape products.

Vape Alternative to Paypal

PayKings is the best alternative to payment processors like Paypal, Square and Stripe who regularly shutoff and do not allow smoke accessory suppliers to process payments. Reach out to us even if your payment processing needs are currently being met. We compare rates to see if you're being charged a fair amount for this type of vape merchant account. We also have payment gateways that are sustainable and have tools that monitor fraudulent activity which can prevent chargebacks.

Sustainable Payment Processing

PayKings is sensitive to the unique needs of smoke shop related businesses and smoke shop merchant accounts. With years of experience obtaining high risk merchant accounts, we've gained a trusty network of payment providers. We've established acquiring banking relationships to become experts in getting your cigarette merchant account accepting retail and online payments. We want your business to prosper and succeed for the long term. We have the merchant services and the know-how to make that happen.

Paid Partnerships

Along with payment processing solutions, PayKings also has a paid partnership program that pays residuals. This gives you the opportunity to help business peers within the smoke shop industry and make some extra income while doing it.

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