For licensed nicotine vape businesses · 21+
Take cards for your vape store, online and in-store, with an account set up for vape from day one.
Get a vape-approved merchant account through Elavon for FDA-authorized nicotine products, with the Authorize.Net gateway for WooCommerce, BigCommerce or Magento. Tell us what you sell, and we'll confirm fit before you apply.
- Set up as a vape business from the start
- Your product list reviewed up front
- No termination fees, no annual fees
- FDA-authorized nicotine products only. No THC.
- In business
- 20+ yrs
- Authorize.Net accounts
- 60,000+
- Processed monthly
- $160M+
- Registered ISO/MSP
- Elavon
Check your vape account fit
Takes about 60 seconds. We'll tell you if your products and setup fit before you apply.
You're on the list.
A vape processing specialist will call you within 1 business day to go over your products and setup.
Speed things up: have these ready
- Your state tobacco or retail license, if your state requires one
- Your product list, with brands
- Driver's license and a voided business check
- Last 3 months of bank or processing statements
Can't wait? Call 888-573-7587 (M-F, 9-5 MST).
Sound familiar?
The big payment platforms each set their own vape rules, and several changed them in 2026.
Square
"In person only."
Square's payment terms (updated July 30, 2026) allow age-restricted products such as tobacco only as card-present sales: a swipe, dip or tap. Online, phone and mail orders aren't supported.
Stripe
"FDA-authorized products only."
Since September 22, 2026, Stripe lists e-cigarettes as a restricted business. US merchants may sell only FDA-authorized products, and the FDA had authorized 48 e-cigarette products as of August 28, 2026.
Shopify
"Vape products are no longer allowed."
In June 2026 Shopify banned all vaping products from its platform (announced by California's Attorney General on June 23). Merchants reportedly had until early July to remove listings, and reports say the ban covers hardware, e-liquid and accessories, with no exception for FDA-authorized products.
An account set up for vape from day one is coded as a vape business (MCC 5993), supports online orders, and has your product list reviewed before you apply, so there's nothing for anyone to "discover" later. We work with FDA-authorized nicotine products only.
Shut down right now? Read what to do after a vape merchant account is shut down.
Selling online
Your online vape store, set up in 3 steps.
Built-in payment options won't cover you here. WooPayments, for one, prohibits e-cigarettes and vapes. What works is a merchant account approved for vape, connected to your store through a gateway.
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1
Get a vape-approved merchant account
Underwritten through Elavon as a vape business, with your product list reviewed up front.
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2
We build your Authorize.Net gateway
The gateway sends each card payment from your checkout to your merchant account. We've set up more than 60,000 Authorize.Net accounts.
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3
Connect it to WooCommerce, BigCommerce or Magento
Add Authorize.Net as your payment method in your store's settings. We'll walk you through it on the phone.
Straight talk on gateways
A gateway is only as good as the account behind it. Authorize.Net connects to your merchant account, so the account's approval for vape is what matters. That's why step 1 comes first.
Moving off Shopify? Read our guide to accepting credit cards on an online vape store.
Check if your store fitsWhat we'll ask for
Vape underwriting looks at what you sell and how you sell it, not just who you are. Having these ready makes the review faster.
Every vape business
- State tobacco or retail license, if your state requires one
- Your product or SKU list, with brands. We review it before you apply.
- Age verification at the counter. Federal law sets the minimum age at 21 and requires a photo ID check for anyone under 30.
- Business documents and EIN, owner ID and a voided business check
- 3 months of bank statements, plus processing statements if you have them
If you sell online and ship to consumers
- PACT Act registration with the ATF and each state you ship to, plus monthly shipment reports by the 10th
- A database age check at checkout, not just a "Yes, I'm 21" box
- Adult-signature delivery with a photo ID check. USPS, UPS and FedEx don't carry vapes to consumers, so this means a private carrier.
- A live website with refund, shipping and privacy policies, and blocks for states you can't ship to
General payments guidance, not legal advice. Rules as of September 2026. Want the details? Read our guides to the PACT Act and age verification and vape payment compliance.
Processing for vape sellers who play it straight.
One partner for your merchant account and your gateway, with clear pricing and plain answers.
Set up for vape from day one
You're underwritten as a vape business up front, so what you sell is known from the start, not flagged by an algorithm months later.
Clear, fair pricing
Interchange-plus pricing: the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed markup, itemized on your statement. No termination fees, no annual fees, no address-verification fees.
Authorize.Net experts
20+ years with Authorize.Net and more than 60,000 accounts set up. We build your gateway and help you connect it to your store.
A registered Elavon ISO/MSP
We're a registered ISO/MSP of Elavon, so you know which bank's processing is behind your account.
Honest answers before you apply
If something on your product list is a problem, we'll tell you before you apply, not after your first payout.
A real person who knows payments
A Salt Lake City team you can call, not a ticket queue.
What we can and can't take
Straight answers up front save you a declined application later.
We work with
FDA-authorized nicotine vapes
Licensed businesses selling FDA-authorized nicotine vape products to adults 21+. As of September 2026, that's 48 products.
We don't process
THC or unauthorized products
No marijuana products, and no hemp-derived delta-8, delta-9 or THCA vapes. For now, we also don't process vapes awaiting FDA review or unauthorized products, including unauthorized disposables.
We review first
Your product list
Tell us what you sell. If something on your list is a problem, we'll say so before you apply.
Why the product review matters: in April 2026, 25 attorneys general (led by New York) and New York City asked the card networks and payment companies to cut off merchants selling unauthorized vapes. As of September 2026, 12 states also now limit sales to products on a state directory list. Processors are paying attention to what's on the shelf.
Questions vape sellers ask us
Can I use Square or Stripe for my vape store?
Each has its own rule. As of September 2026, Square allows tobacco products, including vapes, only as in-person card-present sales, so online and phone orders aren't supported. Stripe lets US merchants sell only FDA-authorized e-cigarette products. If one of them closed your account, read what to do after a shutdown.
Can I still sell vapes on Shopify with a different gateway?
No. In June 2026 Shopify banned vape products from the platform itself, so changing the payment provider doesn't help. Stores are moving to platforms such as WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Magento, where you can connect a vape-approved merchant account through Authorize.Net. See our guide to online vape store payments.
Does it matter which products I sell?
Yes. In 2026, card networks, state attorneys general and state directory laws all began focusing on whether each product is legal where it's sold. We work with FDA-authorized nicotine vape products only, and for now we don't process products awaiting FDA review or unauthorized products. That's why we ask for your product list up front and tell you before you apply if something on it is a problem. Read more about vape payment compliance.
What do I need to sell vapes online?
Under the federal PACT Act, online sellers who ship to consumers register with the ATF and each destination state, file monthly reports, check age against a commercial database at checkout, and deliver with an adult signature and photo ID. State rules can add more, and some states limit or ban shipping to consumers. See our PACT Act and age verification guide. General guidance, not legal advice.
Do you process THC or hemp vapes?
No. We work with nicotine vape businesses selling FDA-authorized products only. We don't process marijuana products or hemp-derived delta-8, delta-9 or THCA products.
What are your rates, and will there be a reserve?
We use interchange-plus pricing: the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed markup, itemized on your statement. Your rate depends on your mix of online and in-store sales, so we quote it after a short call. Whether a reserve applies depends on your history, volume and sales mix. If one does, we'll tell you before you sign. No termination fees and no annual fees.
Tell us what you sell. We'll tell you if it fits.
No obligation, and a real person on the phone within 1 business day.
Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST