Merchant Processing for Tobacco & Cigar Merchants

Moneybox provides tailored payment processing solutions for tobacco and cigar retailers!

tobacco & cigar

A merchant account for tobacco sales allows merchants to accept payments via credit and debit cards for their tobacco products. Yet, establishing such an account is often problematic due to the industry’s classification as high risk. Moneybox specializes in this sector; our team, well-versed in the tobacco market, is here to help you navigate the process of securing a merchant account. We tailor our payment processing services to align with the unique requirements and operations of your tobacco or cigar business.

Types of Merchant Accounts for Tobacco Businesses

Online

Online transactions for tobacco retailers are the most challenging due to the complexities of customer verification, resulting in higher fraud risks. Consequently, eCommerce credit card processing fees are often elevated.

Retail

In-store sales are considered the least risky for tobacco merchants. Retail transactions benefit from the verification of customer age and identity, adding a significant layer of security. Retail environments also allow for a broader range of tobacco products, including flavored vape pods. Retail tobacco businesses can select from a variety of point-of-sale systems to meet their specific needs.

Over the phone

When accepting payments over the phone, also known as MOTO (Mail Order/Telephone Order), the transactions incur higher costs similar to online sales, and must comply with the same shipping regulations. Moneybox provides a secure payment gateway for these transactions, enhancing security for your tobacco sales conducted telephonically.

Maximizing Revenue with Tobacco Merchant Services

Given the various external pressures affecting the tobacco industry’s profitability, optimizing your business model to maximize revenue is critical. By accepting credit card payments, you eliminate payment barriers, facilitating increased tobacco sales for both established and emerging businesses. Moreover, integrating card payments allows your tobacco business to tap into the vast online market, significantly broadening your reach to potential customers.

Tobacco Payment Processing Integration

Moneybox ensures a smooth integration process for tobacco merchants, whether you wish to implement recurring billing, support contactless and mobile payment methods, or link your payment systems with your current CRM software. We enhance this experience with our internal procedures that speed up the application process. By tailoring the payment processing application to match the unique requirements of each tobacco and cigar merchant, we enable integrations that align perfectly with your business operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Moneybox provides tailored merchant processing services for various enterprises within the tobacco sector. This includes traditional physical tobacco and cigar stores, businesses utilizing mobile payment swipers, and others that engage in direct, face-to-face transactions.

At present, we are not in a position to extend merchant services to tobacco or cigar companies looking to sell their products online. The stringent regulations surrounding these products, along with the challenges of accurately verifying age compliance in an e-commerce setting, mean that we currently lack the necessary processing or bank partnerships to support this business model.

What industries does Moneybox Merchant Services accept as clients? Moneybox specializes in mid-risk as well as specific high-risk industries (the terms “mid-risk” and “high risk” are used here from the perspective of the merchant services industry). We are proud to serve the following industries:

  • Accounting & Tax Prep
  • Adult
  • Airlines
  • Alcohol
  • Antiques & Collectibles
  • Apparel & Clothing
  • Automotive
  • B2B
  • Bad Credit
  • Bail Bonds
  • Bar & Restaurant
  • Cigars & Tobacco
  • Cleaning Service
  • Clothing & Apparel
  • Collectibles
  • Continuity / Subscription Products
  • Continuity-Subscription
  • Credit Monitoring
  • Debt Consolidation
  • Dental
  • Digital Downloads
  • Digital Streaming
  • Document Preparation
  • Drop Shipping
  • Ecommerce
  • Educational Seminars
  • Electronics
  • Events
  • Furniture & Home Furnishings
  • Guns & Firearms
  • Gyms, Fitness & Yoga
  • Hair & Beauty Salon
  • Health & Fitness
  • Healthcare
  • High Volume
  • Hotel & Hospitality
  • Hotels & Lodging
  • Hunting & Outdoor Equipment
  • Insurance
  • Insurance / Warranty
  • Jet Charter
  • Law Firms
  • Legal Services
  • Magazine Subscriptions
  • Medical Billing & Coding
  • Medical Supplies
  • Membership & Recurring Billing
  • MLM Companies
  • Moving Companies
  • Nonprofit
  • Nutraceuticals & Supplements
  • Online Dating
  • Pawnbrokers & Pawn Shops
  • Pet Products
  • Precious Metals
  • Property Management
  • Real Estate
  • SaaS Companies
  • Self Defense, Tasers & Stun Guns
  • Seminars & Coaching
  • SEO & SEM Services
  • Smoking Accessories
  • Survivalist & Tactical Gear
  • Taxes and Accounting
  • Tech Support
  • Telemedicine
  • Ticket Agencies
  • Tobacco & Cigar
  • Transportation & Moving
  • Travel & Timeshare
  • Travel Agency*
  • Utility
  • Vape / e-Cig / eJuice*
  • Veterinarians
  • Web Design Services

Please note, this is NOT a complete list; Moneybox Merchant Services Inc. serves hundreds of additional mid and low risk industries, too. We do not have a full list of industries we can work with, instead we keep a list of business that we currently can not support. See our FAQ page for more info. If the opportunity is right we will of course try to be considerate.

Sorry, we are unable to provide merchant services for foreign or offshore businesses, or any company that is headquartered, or operates, outside of the USA. We are also unable to provide merchant services for any business whose owner does not have a valid SSN and US issued identification (driver’s license, US passport, etc). That said we are working to fix this issue and should have a solution early 2025.

Yes, your startup or new business can be approved by Moneybox Merchant Services for a merchant account. We love startups! While newer businesses without processing history sometimes encounter hurdles when it comes to approval, Moneybox has helped many brand new businesses get their start in payment processing.

A high-risk merchant account is designed for businesses deemed as “high-risk.” These types of businesses have a greater likelihood of chargebacks, fraud, or other financial risk factors. High-risk businesses require such accounts to be able to accept credit and debit card payments.

Various industries are considered high-risk because of their inherent attributes. Some examples include CBD (Cannabidiol) products, e-cigarettes, vape products, stun guns, credit repair services, multi-level marketing, adult products/services, pawnshops, dietary supplements, SEO services, and tech support.

No central authority determines a business’s high-risk categorization. Every payment processor or bank sets its own standards, often based on internal risk management criteria. Providers assess businesses based on several detailed information bits to ascertain risk levels.

Factors contributing to a high-risk business include being a new business, having poor credit records or low credit scores, operating in controversial or highly regulated industries, relying heavily on international sales, and previous placements on the MATCH list by payment processors.

High-risk merchant accounts differ from regular accounts in several ways such as having a longer application process, higher payment processing fees, cash reserve requirements, volume caps in credit card processing, higher chargeback fees, and additional requirements based on the business type.

A high-risk business should ensure it maintains healthy cash levels, tries to reduce chargebacks, discloses all relevant information during the application process, keeps its financial documents ready, and adheres to the guidelines set by its payment processor.

A high-risk business can find a suitable merchant services provider by researching and listing down payment processors that cater to their industry. Businesses should consider factors like the processors’ experience in their industry, processing fees, equipment provided, customer support, experience with businesses in the same industry, and support for diverse payment methods.

Moneybox Merchant Services Inc. may not cater to all high-risk businesses (e.g. CBD merchants). It offers an upfront underwriting process that identifies risk factors early, saving the merchant time and potential costs. However, if Moneybox cannot service a particular business, they may recommend a processor better suited to your needs.

Start A Complimentary Rate Analysis

Discover hidden savings in your merchant account

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What you’ll get:

No Cost

Confidential

Upload a recent merchant statement

We will identify where the WASTED SPEND hides within your EXISTING merchant account.

We will present an overview of account and fee health and discuss whether significant savings can be achieved.

You are not obligated to purchase anything.

You do not pay us ANYTHING unless you elect to have Verisave implement cost reductions on your behalf.