- Has your e-commerce cigar business been rejected for being considered too “high-risk” by merchant card processors?
- Has your account been terminated without explanation?
- Are you being hit with hidden and increasing fees you didn’t know about?
If any of these unfortunate occurrences have happened to you, welcome to the world of high-risk e-commerce cigar and tobacco sales.
While cigar sales online can be a lucrative business with potential customers worldwide, Federal regulations and the propensity for fraud have resulted in many established merchant processors turning up their noses at doing business with the online cigar industry. Unlike brick-and-mortar cigar retailers, online retailers have a more difficult time verifying card ownership and protecting their websites from unauthorized charges. Selling products that require age verification requires vigilance in any industry, and compliance is especially difficult online.

Even if you find a processing company that will service your business, you may be in for a shock when the bills arrive. It is standard operating procedure among most high-risk processors to continuously increase fees. Chargeback fees escalate based on the increasing number of chargebacks you receive. Some are hidden in the fine print of your contract. And, after discovering the contract was not what you expected, the processor will charge you a hefty fee to get out of your contract.
Obviously, your merchant processor is not looking out for you. Not all high-risk processors specialize in the cigar and tobacco industry. Some lump all high-risk businesses together–alcohol, cannabis, dating sites, and gambling–and treat them identically. The solution is to select a merchant processor that specializes in the cigar and tobacco industry.
As a Premium Cigar Association(PCA) partner, Premium Tobacco Payment Processing (PTP) is proud to offer its members the lowest processing rates for the industry, with rates and fees guaranteed never to increase. There is never a contract required or cancellation fee. PTP is powered by Nuvo Merchant Services, a leading credit card processing company with over 30 years of experience in several business verticals, now bringing their expertise and stability to the cigar and tobacco industry. If you are ready to change processors or would like a free audit of your existing processor, call Premium Tobacco Payment Processing at
(321) 972-9838.