Empower your business with reliable, industry-specific cannabis payment processing that understands your unique challenges. Let us handle the transactions, so you can focus on growing your business.
The cannabis industry is booming—but for many businesses, the road to success has an unexpected roadblock: payments. You’ve built your brand, secured licensing, and attracted a loyal customer base, but when it comes to accepting payments, you hit a wall. Why? Because cannabis payment processing is still a major challenge in an industry that’s outpaced the laws surrounding it. At Bankcard International Group (BIG), we specialize in cannabis payment processing and cannabis merchant services that empower your business to grow with confidence, not fear.
Whether you’re running a retail dispensary, managing a delivery fleet, selling cannabis seeds online, or operating an ancillary business, BIG delivers trusted, transparent, and compliant cannabis merchant account solutions tailored to your needs.
Let’s explore why cannabis credit card processing is still off the table, the risks of non-compliant solutions, and how our experience can help you process payments the right way.
Although cannabis is now legal in many U.S. states for both medical and recreational use, it remains federally classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. This creates a unique challenge:
This legal gray area means traditional merchant accounts and card processing are not legally available for cannabis operators—no matter how legitimate your business is at the state level.
You may come across companies that promise to help you accept credit cards for cannabis transactions. But here’s the reality:
Bottom line: Processing cannabis credit card payments is not compliant under current U.S. Card Brand Law. And attempting to do so can seriously harm your business.
At BIG, we offer safe, legal alternatives designed specifically for the cannabis industry—no smoke and mirrors, just real solutions.
At Bankcard International Group, we’ve been working in cannabis payment processing since 2006. When cannabis businesses began emerging, we were among the first to offer legitimate, transparent solutions. We understand the challenges you face—and we’ve built our services to help you overcome them.
When you partner with BIG, you get more than a payment processor—you get a team dedicated to your success.
Cash-only sales hurt the customer experience and limit your growth. Our cannabis dispensary payment solutions allow you to operate like a modern retailer:
Give your customers a safer, more convenient way to pay—while reducing the risks and headaches of cash-only operations.
Delivery is one of the fastest-growing cannabis segments. But it comes with unique challenges:
Our delivery-focused cannabis merchant accounts ensure you’re not only secure—but efficient and scalable.
Selling cannabis seeds online? Many processors still treat seed vendors as too high-risk. We know better.
BIG offers:
We make it easy to accept payments, stay legal, and scale your seed business confidently.
If your business supports the cannabis supply chain—without touching the plant—you can accept credit cards! However, most processors and banks don’t know how to handle businesses that make money in the cannabis industry, we do. BIG can handle just about ANY cannabis related business and support them with ACH and Credit Card Processing that they can depend on:
We understand the nuances of being “indirectly” involved in cannabis and provide merchant services that keep you connected to your clients without banking obstacles.
In a highly competitive market, finding innovative ways to boost revenue without adding operational complexity is key. That’s where our Max Profit ATM Program comes in. This turnkey solution transforms your dispensary’s ATM into a dynamic marketing and revenue tool.
Our program allows cannabis retailers to:
Earn passive income through digital ATM screen ads
Feature in-store promotions or branded messages on ATM displays
Partner with regional or national advertisers for added income
Increase customer engagement at the point of sale
It’s simple, scalable, and fully managed by our team. From content management to data analytics, BIG handles the backend so you can focus on running your business.
Cannabis businesses across the country are turning their ATMs into high-performing revenue centers—and you can too.
Need funds to grow your cannabis business? Traditional banks won’t help—but we will.
Our cannabis business funding programs offer:
With fast approvals, fair terms, and cannabis-specific underwriting, BIG helps you access the capital you need to build the business you envision.
The cannabis industry doesn’t need more gimmicks or shady workarounds. It needs professional-grade support. That’s where we come in.
With BIG, you get:
We’re proud to serve the cannabis industry with integrity and intelligence—and we’re ready to help you move forward.
You’ve worked hard to build your cannabis business. Don’t let payment challenges slow you down.
Partner with Bankcard International Group for professional, proven cannabis payment processing solutions that are fully compliant, reliable, and built to grow with you.
Get started today—schedule a free consultation and let’s build a better payment experience together.
As the Cannabis industry evolves, the need for seamless debit card processing becomes increasingly important. We ensure your business can process debit card transactions quickly and securely, providing your customers with a familiar and trusted payment method.
Yes, we offer cannabis related businesses with credit card processing! Many ancillary services to the industry have trouble finding reliable and affordable merchant services. We are happy to work with your business and provide the best service and rates available!
Given the high-value transactions often inherent in the Cannabis industry, our ACH processing service offers a secure and efficient way to handle large payments and B2B transactions. This service is crucial for maintaining seamless operations and supplier payments.
Boost your dispensary’s revenue without added complexity through our Max Profit ATM Program. This turnkey solution turns your ATM into a marketing powerhouse, generating passive income with digital ads, branded promotions, and national advertising partnerships. Fully managed by our team, it's a simple, scalable way to engage customers and unlock new income streams.
BIG has flexible and profitable cannabis ATM placement programs to keep your clients happy and your business humming. Cannabis ATMs are a great way to ensure your customers have the payment options that work for them and can create a great additional stream of revenue for your business.
We have the funding options your cannabis business needs. Where many banks won't go, we will! Get up to $10,000,000 in funding fast with a loan that meets your needs. Learn More Here.
No, unfortunately until there is federal guidance dispensaries cannot accept credit cards. It is strictly against card brand and acquiring bank regulations.
PIN Debit refers to a transaction that is run over any of the PIN Debit networks. PIN Debit for cannabis can only work with networks that have expressly provided their permission to transact for cannabis. With a Cashless ATM (A.K.A. Point of Banking) transactions are very similar but the transaction is carried out on the ATM networks. Rather than funding a transaction like a card payment it is a withdrawl from the customer's account.
Yes, cashless ATMs can be compliant. So long as the processor and networks have established compliance policies to allow for withdrawls in cannabis locations. The cashless ATM was invented over 18 years ago and has been used mostly in the cannabis and payday loan industries.
Yes, Bankcard International Group (BIG) has been working in the cannabis industry since 2007. We have earned the reputation as the Gold Standard in cannabis payment processing. Our superior knowledge, experience, and ethical client centric standards also earned us the 2024 Top Payments Company at the PBC conference for payments, banking, and compliance in the cannabis industry.
YES! Bankcard International Group (BIG) offers Crypto payment processing for both online cannabis payment processing and for in person transactions. Learn more on our page about Crypto Payment Processing - we make it easy!
YES! BIG offers cannabis friendly ACH Payment Processing for both B2B and B2C transactions. Contact Us to learn more!
Yes! BIG has flexible ATM placement programs for all business types including cannabis dispensaries. Contact Us to learn more...
Absolutely! We offer business the ability to get funded up to $10,000,000 quickly! To learn more visit our Business Loans page.
YES! Bankcard International Group supports cannabis related businesses with credit card payment processing services. To learn more visit our page on Ancillary Cannabis Businesses Payment Processing.
YES! BIG offers cannabis payment processing services to the industry. Whether you own a dispensary, delivery, or ancillary cannabis business BIG has a solution for you!
Absolutely, BIG has been a supporter of the CBD industry for decades with dependable and affordable CBD Merchant Accounts, LEARN MORE.
A merchant account is an account with an acquiring bank that enables a business to accept credit cards. A merchant account is basically a line of credit that is established based on a number of factors including credit, business model, and the amount of “credit” that is requested. Bankcard International Group provides the absolute best rates and service possible.
An acquiring bank is a financial institution that is a registered member of the card brand associations Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, etc.. in order to fund credit card transactions for their merchants. Acquiring banks provide transaction funding so businesses can accept credit cards, debit cards, and other forms of non-cash payments.
Acquiring banks are appropriately named as they acquire (or accept) credit card transactions from card issuing banks that provide consumers with credit cards. An acquiring bank is responsible for underwriting a “merchant account” for any business that it allows to accept credit card payments. In doing so, acquiring banks assume the risk associated with the transactions they process and fund. In the event that a business is unable to refund a reversal, chargeback, or refund the acquiring bank is liable to provide those funds to the cardholder.
Applying for a merchant account is relatively simple but you do need to be prepared to provide documentation to show that you are a legitimate business with good intentions.
Since merchant accounts are a function of the banking system and are susceptible to fraud they are required to adhere to federal guidelines including the Patriot Act and KYCC (Know Your Customer’s Customer) oversight. You will be required to provide your business information, personal identification, and credit information so the bank can verify your ability to be approved for an account.
Bankcard International Group
300 West 15th Street, Suite 310 Vancouver, WA 98660
1-800-895-1580