Accept payments for your CBD business

These US-headquartered processors apply global policies based on American regulations, where CBD remains federally complex despite the 2018 Farm Bill. Rather than developing jurisdiction-specific compliance frameworks, they've implemented blanket bans on all CBD commerce. This affects UK and EU businesses operating entirely legally under local regulations. Additionally, traditional banks cite 'reputational risk': they worry about customer perception of cannabis-adjacent businesses, regardless of THC content or legality. Bridge Pay has built infrastructure specifically for compliant CBD commerce, evaluating applications on actual regulatory compliance rather than outdated risk stereotypes.

No. PayPal explicitly prohibits CBD sales in its Acceptable Use Policy, even for fully legal products below the 0.3% THC threshold (0.2% in the UK). Accounts flagged for CBD activity are frozen without notice, funds can be held for up to 180 days, and merchants are frequently banned from the platform permanently. The only sustainable way to accept CBD payments is a payment gateway built for high-risk sectors such as Bridge Pay, which approves compliant CBD stores with a stable merchant account and normal payout schedules.

The UK permits CBD products with THC content below 0.2%, while most EU countries allow up to 0.3% THC. These thresholds apply to the final product, not raw hemp. Your lab certificates must demonstrate compliance with the applicable threshold for your target market. Note that some EU member states have stricter requirements: France previously banned CBD flowers entirely (though this was overturned), and some countries have product-specific restrictions. Market-specific requirements are reviewed during file verification.

Novel Food regulations apply to CBD products intended for consumption (oils, edibles, capsules) that weren't commonly consumed before May 1997. In the UK, the FSA requires ingestible CBD products to have submitted Novel Food applications to remain on market. The EFSA oversees EU applications. Cosmetic CBD products fall under different regulations and don't require Novel Food status. Bridge Pay requires evidence of Novel Food application submission for ingestible products. Products without valid applications face increasing enforcement risk and may not be eligible for payment processing.

CBD flower legality in the UK is complex and evolving. While not explicitly banned, CBD flowers exist in a legal gray area. The Home Office has previously stated that CBD flowers cannot be legally sold for smoking, though products marketed for aromatherapy or other non-consumption uses occupy uncertain territory. Bridge Pay evaluates flower applications on a case-by-case basis with additional due diligence. We require clear non-consumption marketing, THC certificates for each batch, and may apply additional terms. The regulatory landscape continues to evolve, and we monitor developments closely.

Our 10% rolling reserve means we hold 10% of each transaction for 180 days before releasing it to you. This protects against chargebacks and provides security during the initial trading period. After 6 months of clean trading history (low chargebacks, no compliance issues), we review your account for reserve reduction, typically to 5% or elimination entirely for established merchants. Unlike some processors who impose indefinite or surprise reserves, our terms are transparent from day one with a clear pathway to reduction. The reserve remains your money and is released on a rolling basis after the holding period.

CBD chargeback rates run slightly higher than standard e-commerce (approximately 1.2% vs 0.8%) due to product quality variations, delivery issues, and occasional buyer's remorse. Bridge Pay provides robust chargeback management including: real-time alerts allowing rapid response, comprehensive evidence templates for CBD-specific disputes, integration with chargeback prevention services like Verifi and Ethoca, and supporting evidence for dispute representation. The dispute kit also lists the practices that reduce chargebacks: clear product descriptions, delivery tracking and responsive customer service. Merchants with persistent high chargebacks (>2%) may face account review.

Yes, but with important caveats. CBD legality varies significantly by country, and you're responsible for ensuring products can legally ship to customer destinations. Bridge Pay supports multi-currency processing in GBP, EUR, USD, and 30+ currencies, but we recommend implementing geographic restrictions for countries with CBD prohibitions (much of Asia, some Middle Eastern countries). Our checkout supports country-specific product restrictions. Cross-border CBD shipments may face customs issues regardless of payment processing: we recommend clear terms of service addressing international shipping risks and customer responsibility.

Bridge Pay provides plugins and integrations for major platforms including WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce. We also offer a full REST API for custom integrations. Most CBD merchants use WooCommerce or Shopify, and our plugins provide seamless checkout experiences with automatic 3D Secure, hooks for your age verification step, and real-time transaction updates. Integration typically takes 1-2 hours for standard platforms. Our technical team provides integration support and can assist with custom requirements.

Bridge Pay follows how the CBD framework evolves in the UK and the EU (Novel Food, FSA, case law). If a product in your catalogue becomes non-compliant, you are told and given time to adjust your range; the account is not closed without notice.