Alcohol Merchant Accounts & Tobacco Payment Processing

We provide merchant accounts for a broad spectrum of alcohol and tobacco businesses.

At Signature Payments, we specialize in providing secure merchant accounts for businesses that are normally deemed “high risk” by most payment providers. If you’re looking for a payment processing solution for your growing alcohol or tobacco business, we may be able to help.

What is an Alcohol & Tobacco Merchant Account?

Any business that accepts card-based payments must have a merchant account, which is a dedicated bank account reserved for credit card, debit card and rewards card deposits. However, many payment processors are reluctant to work with businesses in certain niches.

Whether fairly or not, for example, the alcohol and tobacco industries are often associated with vice and high-risk activities. This connection alone makes it hard for businesses in these verticals to qualify for affordable alcohol or tobacco payment processing — assuming any provider will approve them.

This difficulty exists for brick-and-mortar retailers and their e-commerce counterparts. Businesses that specialize in online liquor sales often face even greater challenges, since their transactions involve anonymous “card not present” purchases. Because verifying the authenticity of every user is harder, online sales are more prone to fraud and abuse. This makes qualifying for alcohol credit card processing even more difficult.

How Can Signature Payments Help Me?

We specialize in helping businesses in high-risk industries qualify for secure and affordable payment processing — even if they’ve been turned down by other providers. Our in-house payment security specialists understand the unique challenges of growing a successful alcohol or tobacco business — whether in the physical world or in the online one.

When others say no, we say yes.

Let us help you qualify for a merchant account so that you can start securely accepting card-based payments to fuel your business’s growth. The online application is 100% free. It only takes a few minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about our fast approval process, contact our payment security specialists today.

Signature Payments is a full service provider offering…

Easy Sign-Up

Our application can be accessed online for quick and easy completion in just a few minutes.

Fast Approvals

Our application review process is quick and easy so you can begin accepting payments in no time.

No Hidden Fees

Our team will work hard to get your account approved at the lowest possible rates with no hidden fees or extras.

Flexible Solutions

We partner with multiple banks and offer domestic and offshore solutions for the flexibility you need.

Alcohol & Tobacco Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for an alcohol or tobacco merchant account?

It couldn’t be easier. Just fill out our free online application form (it only takes a few minutes). Once you’re done, our in-house team will review your application and follow up with the most appropriate next steps.

If you run into any problems filling out the application, you can always contact our payment security team directly.

What are the criteria for merchant account approvals?

All new clients fill out the same online application. Thereafter, our review team might ask for any number of supporting documentation, including bank statements, payment processing statements, performance reports, refund policies and your pricing.

If you have questions about the types of supporting documentation you might need to provide, schedule a free consultation with our payment security specialists today.

Will Signature Payments work with my existing software?

In many cases, yes. That’s because our payment technology works with most major gateways, including ePN, NMI and Authorize.net. This allows our alcohol and tobacco merchant accounts to integrate with many of the most popular business, sales and accounting software platforms.

Have questions about software interoperability? Our in-house security specialists are always ready to help.

What kinds of payments can I accept?

At Signature Payments, we support all major debit and credit cards offered by Mastercard®, Visa®, American Express® and Discover®. Your alcohol and tobacco merchant account also allows you to securely accept payments made via check, mobile wallet or electronic benefit transfer (EBT).

Do I need special hardware to start accepting payments?

It depends. For face-to-face transactions, you’ll need a physical point-of-sale (POS) reader. This can be a dedicated POS terminal or a smart device that is capable of reading credit and debit card information.

If you sell online, you won’t need any hardware. Instead, all transactions will go through your payment gateway, which is the online equivalent of a physical POS reader.

Can I join Signature Payments if I’m not based in the U.S.?

As a principal, you do not need to be based in the U.S. Though to process transactions with us, you must have a U.S. legal entity, and a permanent U.S. business address, bank account and signer based in the U.S.

For a longer list of tobacco and alcohol merchant account FAQs, click here.

Have Questions?

Call 888-334-2284 or email sales@signaturepayments.com.