An online CBD store planning to leave Square should first confirm two facts: which cart platform it runs on and whether it can supply a complete file of product and business documents. Those two items — cart compatibility and documentation — usually decide a new merchant account more than the advertised rate, which for CBD merchants is typically quoted after underwriting and paired with a rolling reserve. A shop leaving Square must have its cart and paperwork in order before applying elsewhere.
Square alternatives: what determines a CBD merchant account
The key technical question is how a processor reaches the checkout. An online store runs on a cart platform such as Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce; a processor connects either directly or through a gateway, the software that carries card data from checkout to the processor. If a provider already supports the store’s cart, setup follows a known path; if not, the merchant may need a separate gateway account.
The key underwriting question is the file. All providers covered here treat online CBD sales as high-risk and generally require lab reports. Many also want prior processing statements. Because CBD pricing commonly includes a rolling reserve, two rate quotes are comparable only once both reserve terms are disclosed.
1. Easy Pay Direct
Easy Pay Direct pairs dedicated merchant accounts with a proprietary gateway, so checkout and settlement come from one company. Its CBD accounts accept hemp and hemp-derived products as well as CBD and offer ready integrations for Shopify and WooCommerce. The gateway supports recurring billing, tokenized card vaulting for stored cards, and includes fraud scoring and rule-based filters to screen orders before they reach the processor. Approval is not instant: Easy Pay Direct requires a review period before the first sale.
2. PayKings
PayKings provides its own gateway for Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce, avoiding the need for a separate gateway account on those carts. PayKings places accounts with partner banks: its underwriting team matches each merchant to a banking partner that already accepts the CBD category. Settlement timing varies by tier: same-day settlement, where available, is on the Enterprise tier from $300,000 a month; next-day settlement on the Growth tier from $100,000; stores on the Starter tier wait two days after each sale.
3. Finix
Finix supports CBD processing across seven cart platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, OpenCart, Drupal Commerce and PrestaShop — so stores on less common platforms can connect without a separate gateway. Customers can pay with major cards or digital wallets; phone orders can be taken via a Virtual Terminal or payment link. Finix’s CBD application sets a fixed document list up front: business documents, proof that each product is hemp-derived with THC at or below 0.3%, and a certificate of analysis for every product. Its accounts cover a broad catalog including oils, capsules, edibles, creams, skincare, hemp clothing and natural supplements. Rolling reserves still apply.
4. PaymentCloud
PaymentCloud lets merchants choose among three gateways — Authorize.net, NMI and USAePay — and connects to carts such as Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce. A store already using one of those gateways can keep its checkout and change only the merchant account behind it. Recurring billing and invoicing are included. PaymentCloud works with tinctures, edibles and drinks, topicals and pet CBD, and with white-label manufacturers. Applicants without a previous processor face higher documentation requirements: PaymentCloud asks for three months of processing statements from a CBD applicant, a current certificate of analysis and a supplier list.
5. Bankful
Bankful supports Shopify CBD sellers of oils, edibles, topicals, hemp flower, pre-rolls and vapes, and also connects to WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix and Magento. Bankful primarily sells payment software and in some setups acts as the payment facilitator that manages merchant relationships under its own sponsor-bank account. Its subscription billing can migrate an existing subscriber list from another system. Card rates are determined by the processing bank’s agreement rather than by Bankful.
Why Stripe, PayPal and Shopify Payments often aren’t viable
Stripe, PayPal and Shopify Payments operate aggregator models similar to Square’s, opening accounts at signup and reviewing businesses later. That flow suits products unlikely to be questioned, but CBD shops commonly face product reviews after launch that can result in frozen balances while orders ship. Each service maintains its own lists of restricted and prohibited businesses; a shop selling hemp-derived products should read and keep a dated copy of the current policy before connecting any of them.
What underwriters will ask a CBD store to provide
Across these providers the requested file is consistent: business documents, a certificate of analysis for each product, proof the goods are hemp-derived with THC content details, a supplier list, and any processing statements from a previous account. The application should also name the cart platform so the provider knows which connection to use. Once that file exists, reserve terms become the clearest way to compare quotes from different providers.
