CBD and Hemp Merchant Account Application – Interactive Checklist
Guide to Opening a Merchant Account
Here’s everything you need to get approved the first time. Gather the documents, fix your website to card-brand standards, and avoid delays. I keep this simple and practical.
Documents required
- EIN letter
- Articles of Organization or Certificate of Formation
- Bank letter or a voided check
- Photo of the owner’s driver’s license
- Photo of inventory or a fulfillment agreement
- Three months of processing statements
- Three months of business bank statements
New business? If your business bank statements are light on capital or volume, you can provide personal bank statements to support your requested processing volume. This helps underwriting validate capacity.
Note: A business bank account is required unless you’re a sole prop. Some banks will accept a personal account for sole proprietors—ask before submitting.
Documents that may be requested
- Business or personal tax returns
- Vendor invoice(s)
- CRM agreement
- Fulfillment / 3PL agreement
- Customer support center agreement
Provide clean PDFs and make sure names and addresses line up across all files.
Website requirements enforced by Amex, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover
The card brands audit live sites. If something’s missing, they’ll instruct the bank to have you fix it—usually within ~5 days. If not fixed, your merchant account can be shut down.
Shipping restrictions & geo-fencing
Some verticals can’t sell or ship into certain states. You must block checkout where restricted. Amex may place test orders from blocked states; if they can check out, they’ll require a fix within ~5 days.
Typical high-risk website items
- 21+ age popup (simple Yes/No is fine—no ID upload unless your state requires it)
- Industry disclaimers (FDA, Farm Bill, kratom, etc.)—we’ll provide language
- Logos of card brands/payment methods you accept
- Customer support email, phone, and physical address in the footer
- Privacy, Shipping, Return, and Cancellation policies—clearly linked in the footer
- Website is live and functional (no “coming soon” placeholders on key pages)
For a detailed hemp & CBD checklist click here. For a broader site checklist click here.
How banks handle missing items
Some banks will approve and issue a MID before every requirement is met, but hold a 100% reserve until conditions are satisfied. Not all banks do this—ask before you go live.
Next-day approvals are common at High Wire Payments. Typical turn time is 5–7 business days when your files and site are complete.
Your action plan
- Collect the required documents and label each file clearly
- Fix website items before the audit window
- Send clean statements (mask full account numbers)
- Share accurate product lists and any restricted states
- Keep your support inbox active for auditor test emails
Hemp & CBD mini checklist
- 21+ age gate
- Farm Bill statement + per-product THC disclosure
- Clear “no ship / no sale” state list
- COA links (if you publish them)
- Footer support email + phone
Website requirement mini checklist
- Business name and address on the site
- Support email and phone in footer
- Privacy • Terms • Shipping • Returns • Cancellations linked
- Accepted card brand logos near footer or cart
- Checkout blocks restricted states (where applicable)
Interactive pre-flight checklist
Check off what you’ve completed. Your progress saves in your browser.