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Kratom Payment Processing Guide For Merchants: How To Sell Kratom Online & In Stores

If you are a merchant that sells kratom, you might be considered high-risk. Learn more about credit card processing for high-risk businesses with this guide.

    Chris Motola
  • UPDATED

Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.
Man uses an online processor to sell kratom.

Selling kratom–a popular supplement–can be a lucrative source of revenue for some small businesses. If you’re planning to sell online or accept payment by credit card, however, you should be aware that you’re dealing with a product that’s considered high-risk by payment processors.

Below, we’ll take a look at how you can go about selling kratom, and some payment processors that can help you reach your customers.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

CompanyHighlightsNext StepsHighlights
PaymentCloud

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  • Online and in-person sales
  • Pricing undisclosed
  • Two-year contract, ETF can be waived
  • Online and in-person sales
  • Pricing undisclosed
  • Two-year contract, ETF can be waived

Visit Site

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Host Merchant Services

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  • Online and in-person sales
  • Pricing undisclosed
  • 18-month contract w/$595 ETF
  • Online and in-person sales
  • Pricing undisclosed
  • 18-month contract w/$595 ETF

Visit Site

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Easy Pay Direct

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  • Online and in-person sales
  • $99 signup fee w/$24.95 monthly fee
  • Three-year contracts w/no ETF
  • Online and in-person sales
  • $99 signup fee w/$24.95 monthly fee
  • Three-year contracts w/no ETF

Visit Site

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eMerchantBroker

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  • Online sales
  • Pricing undisclosed
  • One-to-three year contracts w/$295-$595 ETFs
  • Online sales
  • Pricing undisclosed
  • One-to-three year contracts w/$295-$595 ETFs

Visit Site

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Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

Why Is Kratom Payment Processing Considered High-Risk?

Kratom payment processing is considered high-risk. Kratom, in varying doses, is a mild stimulant, a narcotic, and can be potentially psychoactive in users, which tends to get it classified with other “vice” products in terms of the risk to processors.

Additionally, regulatory clarity on kratom tends to be lacking.

Kratom has, so far, narrowly evaded federal prohibition, but some states and municipalities have passed a confusing patchwork of regulations and/or bans. While kratom is still legal and unregulated in most states, scrutiny of the product is ongoing and could quickly impact your ability to sell to some or all of your customers.

In short, what this means is that most credit card processors won’t touch kratom.

By working with a high-risk specialist, however, you won’t have to stick to cash payments for kratom. Additionally, a good high-risk specialist can protect you from excessive chargebacks and provide an excellent infrastructure for selling your product online.

The 4 Best Kratom Credit Card Processing Options

The best way to get payment processing for kratom is to work with a high-risk merchant account provider.

Below, we’ve provided four quality high-risk payment processors to get you started.  These are:

  • PaymentCloud
  • Host Merchant Services
  • East Pay Direct
  • eMerchantBroker

1. PaymentCloud

PaymentCloud


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Exclusive Promo: PaymentCloud will give you $200 if they can't beat your current rate. Get Your Quote

Pros

  • No account setup fee
  • Reasonable rates and fees
  • Free credit card terminal
  • Excellent customer support

Cons

  • No publicly disclosed pricing

PaymentCloud isn’t strictly a high-risk merchant account provider but has developed a reputation for offering quality credit processing services to high-risk businesses.

PaymentCloud Features

PaymentCloud offers the following features:

  • Merchant accounts
  • Payment gateway
  • Virtual terminal
  • Shopping cart integration
  • Credit card terminals and POS systems
  • Mobile payments
  • Customized application guidance
  • Chargeback and fraud protection
  • Ongoing negotiation and advocacy
  • Merchant cash advances

PaymentCloud Pricing

Like most high-risk specialists, PaymentCloud does not publicly divulge pricing for high-risk accounts. This is because high-risk accounts generally have custom, negotiated pricing.

PaymentCloud offers both tiered and interchange-plus pricing.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

High-risk clients will generally have to sign a two-year long-term contract with PaymentCloud, with subsequent one-year contracts upon automatic renewal. While PaymentCloud does have early termination fees, it is possible to get them waived.

Where PaymentCloud Really Shines

PaymentCloud minimizes the hassle that high-risk merchants have to deal with to get credit card processing. Shorter long-term contracts, early termination fee waivers, and free applications all speak to PaymentCloud’s approach to the market. Kratom sellers will appreciate the support for online sales and a variety of integrations PaymentCloud offers.

Get Started With PaymentCloud

Read our in-depth review

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2. Host Merchant Services

Host Merchant Services


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Pros

  • No setup or application fees
  • No monthly minimums
  • Good customer support

Cons

  • Can be expensive for low-volume businesses
  • US-based businesses only

Host Merchant Services is a small but rising star in the payment processing world. Host Merchant Services offers high-risk payment processing through its partnership with Electronic Merchant Systems.

Host Merchant Services Features

Host Merchant Services offers the following features:

  • Merchant accounts
  • Payment gateway
  • Virtual terminal
  • Shopping cart integration
  • Credit card terminals and POS systems
  • Mobile payments
  • Referral program
  • Data breach insurance
  • Web hosting
  • Merchant cash advances

Host Merchant Services Pricing

Like most high-risk specialists, Host Merchant Services does not publicly divulge pricing for high-risk accounts. This is because high-risk accounts generally have custom, negotiated pricing.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Host Merchant Services doesn’t offer specific contract terms for its high-risk accounts. Electronic Merchant Systems’s contracts run for 18 months and automatically renew for subsequent 18-month terms. Canceling requires 90 days notice. There’s an early termination fee of $595.

Check with Host Merchant Services to see if its high-risk contracts differ.

Where Host Merchant Services Really Shines

Host Merchant Services has, so far, been very well-received by customers. You’ll find many positive user reviews of Host Merchant Services and relatively few complaints.

If you do most of your kratom transactions in cash, you can also take advantage of Host Merchant Services cash-discount program.

Get Started With Host Merchant Services

Read our in-depth review

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3. Easy Pay Direct

Easy Pay Direct


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Pros

  • Free gateway
  • Free virtual terminal
  • Good reputation
  • Inexpensive hardware

Cons

  • Little pricing disclose online
  • $99 account setup fee

Easy Pay Direct is a payment gateway service that markets itself to high-risk businesses. Businesses seeking merchant services can, however, get a high-risk merchant account through one of Easy Pay Direct’s partners.

Easy Pay Direct Features

Easy Pay Direct offers the following features:

  • Merchant accounts (through partners)
  • Payment gateway
  • eCheck payments
  • Virtual terminal
  • Shopping cart integration
  • Credit card terminals and POS systems
  • Mobile payments
  • Developer resources
  • Merchant cash advances and business loans

Easy Pay Direct Pricing

Like most high-risk specialists, Easy Pay Direct does not publicly divulge pricing for high-risk accounts. This is because high-risk accounts generally have custom, negotiated pricing.

However, Easy Pay Direct does charge a $99 account setup fee, as well as a $24.95 monthly account fee.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Easy Pay Direct offers a traditional three-year contract for new clients, with automatic renewal terms of one year thereafter.

The good news, however, is that Easy Pay Direct does not charge early termination fees on most of its high-risk accounts (offshore accounts may have ETFs, however).

Where Easy Pay Direct Really Shines

As a payment gateway, Easy Pay Direct can pair with your existing merchant account if you already have one. Beyond that, the lack of early termination fees for most high-risk clients is a rare but welcome trait.

 

Get Started With Easy Pay Direct

Read our in-depth review

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4. eMerchantBroker

eMerchantBroker


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Pros

  • Very high merchant acceptance rate
  • Full range of services and third-party integrations
  • Accepts difficult-to-place high-risk merchants

Cons

  • Expensive compared to other high-risk providers
  • Uses some misleading sales gimmicks

eMerchantBroker isn’t the cheapest option on this list, but it makes up for it by being able to place just about any legal merchant.

eMerchantBroker Features

eMerchantBroker offers the following features:

  • Merchant accounts
  • Payment gateway
  • ACH and eCheck payments
  • Chargeback protection services
  • Cryptocurrency payments
  • Merchant cash advances

eMerchantBroker Pricing

Like most high-risk specialists, eMerchantBroker does not publicly divulge pricing for high-risk accounts. This is because high-risk accounts generally have custom, negotiated pricing.

eMerchantBroker does offer premium plans that add features (like integrations) for additional fees.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

eMerchantBroker does have long-term contracts, but there is no standard length. You may be offered a one-, two-, or three-year contract. Automatic renewals will be for one year, however. You’ll want to give 90-days notice in the event that you want to cancel, though reportedly it can be as little as 30 days. Best to be safe, however.

Early termination fees range from $295 to $595, with lower fees corresponding to shorter contracts.

Where eMarketBroker Really Shines

eMarketBroker is essentially a last resort for businesses that are having trouble being placed anywhere else. eMarketBroker has a very high acceptance rate. As long as you’re selling a legal product, there’s a very good chance you can get credit card processing through it.

Get Started With eMerchantBroker

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

What To Look For In Kratom Credit Card Processing Companies

When you’re dealing with a high-risk product like kratom, it can be tempting to think you need to accept the first payment processor who will have you. Even though you may have fewer options, you shouldn’t sacrifice your needs. A good high-risk payment processor should still be able to offer you a satisfactory suite of features.

Let’s take a look at some features you may want to consider.

Support For Your Sales Channels

Most payment processors offer support for both brick-and-mortar and eCommerce sales, but some may be geared more specifically towards one or the other. If your sales are mostly done in person, you’ll be more concerned about POS systems and terminals. If your sales are mostly online, you’ll want to look for shopping cart integration and perhaps even web hosting.

No account reserves

One of the more annoying practices merchant account providers engage in is the dreaded rolling reserve.

In this arrangement, the payment processor withholds between 5-10% of your credit card transaction funds to cover any potential chargebacks. This can play havoc with your margins and isn’t something you should accept unless you have no other choice.

Useful integrations

It may be enough for your payment processor to just be able to handle your credit card transactions, but the best service for your business will be one that plays nice with the software you’re using. This includes accounting software and inventory management. Some processors even offer software for that purpose.

Cash discounts

With credit card processing fees as high as they are these days, it doesn’t hurt to encourage customers to pay in cash if possible. Cash discount programs provide a discount at point of sale for customers paying in cash.

Chargeback protection

High-risk industries tend to have higher rates of chargebacks. Frequent chargebacks can take a big chunk out of your revenue $15-$30 at a time, so it can pay to work with a processor that will minimize your exposure to them.

How To Improve Your Chances Of Getting Approved For Kratom Payment Processing

Instant approval for high-risk merchant accounts is almost unheard of. But as challenging as it can be to get credit processing for a kratom business, there are things you can do to increase the likelihood that your application will be accepted.

  • Be organized. The more documentation you have handy and can produce on demand, the more likely you can keep the application process moving along.
  • Open a business bank account. Most merchant account providers, especially high-risk ones, will need you to have a business bank account to link your merchant account to.
  • Be honest about your business history. You’re better off disclosing any blemishes on your record upfront than having them uncovered by your processor.
  • Have a website. Having a professional-looking website can help your business look more legitimate.
  • Improve your credit. Unfortunately, credit checks are usually a part of the application process. Better credit will make you look less risky.

Which Kratom Merchant Account Is Right For Your Business?

Selling a product like kratom can complicate your application for credit card processing, but by working with a quality high-risk specialist, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to offer your customers the convenience of credit or debit.

Are you offering vape products alongside kratom? Check out our guide on how to sell vape products as well as our guide to the best vape and eCig merchant accounts.

In Summary: The 4 Best Kratom Credit Card Processing Options

  1. PaymentCloud:
    • Online and in-person sales
    • Pricing undisclosed
    • Two-year contract, ETF can be waived
  2. Host Merchant Services:
    • Online and in-person sales
    • Pricing undisclosed
    • 18-month contract w/$595 ETF
  3. Easy Pay Direct:
    • Online and in-person sales
    • $99 signup fee w/$24.95 monthly fee
    • Three-year contracts w/no ETF
  4. eMerchantBroker:
    • Online sales
    • Pricing undisclosed
    • One-to-three year contracts w/$295-$595 ETFs
Chris Motola

Chris Motola

Expert Analyst & Reviewer at Merchant Maverick
An expert in personal and business loans and financial health, Chris Motola has been writing about small business finance and payments for over 5 years. He has been cited in various industry publications, including Forbes Advisor, GoBankingRates, and Medium. Chris is a graduate of the University of Central Florida.
Chris Motola
View Chris Motola's professional experience on LinkedIn.

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Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.

Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.

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