High-risk · CBD & Hemp
CBD payment processing without the shutdowns.
Sell CBD oils, gummies, topicals, pet products, and hemp-derived goods online or in store. HL Hunt supports compliant CBD merchants with real underwriting, lab-certificate review, and acquiring partners that actually accept the category.
- Approved before your first charge
- No monthly fee or contract
- Same-day settlement
- Real humans on the phone
- Disclosed
- Rates, reserve, and settlement agreed in writing
- 0
- Automated terminations or surprise holds
- Ethoca + Verifi
- Chargeback alerts included on every account
- Dedicated
- Named risk manager who answers the phone
Why CBD & Hemp merchants choose HL Hunt
COA-based approval
Approval tied to your lab certificates, so compliant products are never lumped in with the non-compliant.
In-store and online
Same account for your website, farmers market, and retail counter, including Tap to Pay on any phone.
Underwriting before go-live, not after
We review your products, marketing, refund policy, and processing history up front and propose terms before you sign. Nothing is imposed later.
Multiple acquiring relationships
Transactions route across acquirers that accept your vertical, with automatic failover so a single bank decision never stops your revenue.
Chargeback alerts and the Dispute Agent
Ethoca and Verifi alerts let you refund before a dispute posts. When one does, the Dispute Agent assembles and files compelling evidence automatically.
Compliant billing and disclosures
Hosted checkout and billing flows built to card-network rules for your category: clear pricing, consent capture, easy cancellation, and descriptor control.
Get a CBD & Hemp merchant account that stays open.
Create your account, get approved up front, and take your first payment today. No monthly fee, no contract.
How it works
- 01
Apply with your real business
Share your website, products, marketing, refund policy, and any processing history. Our risk team reviews within a few business days.
- 02
Agree terms in writing
You receive a plain-language proposal: rate, any rolling reserve, settlement timing, and volume caps. Sign when it works for you.
- 03
Go live and scale with a human on your side
Integrate checkout, payment links, or the virtual terminal. Alerts and the Dispute Agent protect your ratios while your risk manager helps you grow caps.
Payment processing for CBD and hemp businesses: what to expect
CBD sits in a regulatory grey zone: legal federally under the 2018 Farm Bill when derived from hemp with under 0.3% THC, but subject to shifting state rules, FDA guidance on health claims, and card-brand policies that change frequently. Mainstream processors and payment apps routinely shut CBD merchants down without notice, sometimes holding funds for months.
We verify third-party certificates of analysis for your products, review your website for prohibited health claims, confirm age gating and shipping restrictions, and place you with an acquirer that has explicitly approved hemp-derived CBD. Ingestibles, topicals, and smokables may carry different terms, and we tell you which apply before you sign.
Online checkout, payment links, Tap to Pay for events and retail counters, and subscription billing for auto-ship. Descriptors that match your brand, chargeback alerts, and a risk manager who tracks regulatory changes so you are not surprised by them.
What changes
HL Hunt vs a typical processor for CBD & Hemp
| HL Hunt | Typical processor | |
|---|---|---|
| CBD & Hemp accepted | Yes, with the right acquirer and disclosures | Prohibited or terminated after review |
| Rolling reserve | Only if agreed in writing, with a release schedule | 10 to 20 percent held indefinitely |
| Underwriting | Done up front, before your first charge | After you start processing, often mid-month |
| Account freezes | Never without a named human and a reason in writing | Automated holds triggered by volume or category |
| Settlement | Same day to your bank, instant payouts available | 2 to 7 business days, longer for new accounts |
| Disputes | Dispute Agent assembles evidence and responds for you | You upload PDFs into a portal and hope |
| Support | Phone, chat, and email answered by payments staff | Ticket queue with templated replies |
| Pricing | Published rates or a written quote, no hidden markups | Tiered pricing, PCI fees, statement and batch fees |
Pricing
Pricing for CBD & Hemp is quoted in writing
High-risk categories price on your real history, not a published card rate. You get one proposal with the rate, any reserve, and settlement timing before you sign. Nothing is added later.
- Quoted
- Card rate
- Disclosed
- Reserve terms
- $0
- Monthly, PCI, or statement fees
- Named
- Risk manager
Based on your volume, ticket size, and chargeback history
Only if required, with a written release schedule
You pay only when money moves
Answers the phone, knows your file
Everything included
One account covers all of it
CBD & Hemp is one part of the platform. Every HL Hunt account ships with the full stack, so you never bolt on a second vendor as you grow.
- Cards, wallets, ACH & BNPLEvery major payment method enabled from day one.Learn more
- Tap to Pay on any phoneTake card-present payments with no hardware.Learn more
- Invoicing & virtual terminalBill by email, take payments over the phone.Learn more
- Subscriptions & billingAny pricing model, automatic retries.Learn more
- Instant payoutsPay yourself or anyone in 180+ countries.Learn more
- AI agentsFraud, disputes, recovery, reconciliation.Learn more
- Fraud & dispute defense500+ signals and automatic evidence filing.Learn more
- Ledger & reconciliationEvery sale, fee, and deposit in one view.Learn more
- Open API & docsEvery endpoint documented, with test mode from day one.Learn more
Get started
Apply for a CBD & Hemp merchant account
Most applications get a written proposal within two business days. Have these ready and you can be live by the end of the week.
Prefer to talk first? info@hlhunt.org
- 01Legal business name, EIN, and a business bank account
- 02A website or product description showing what you sell and how you bill
- 03Government ID for the owner or an authorized signer
- 04Last 3 to 6 months of processing statements, if you have them
- 05Your refund, cancellation, and customer service policies
- 06Any licenses or lab results your category requires
CBD & Hemp FAQ
Do you process delta-8, delta-9 THC, or marijuana payments?
HL Hunt processes hemp-derived CBD products under 0.3% delta-9 THC. Delta-8 and other intoxicating cannabinoids are evaluated case by case based on state law and acquirer policy. We do not process marijuana or dispensary payments.
Can I sell CBD on Shopify or WooCommerce with HL Hunt?
Yes. HL Hunt integrates with major e-commerce platforms, so you can replace a shut-down gateway without rebuilding your store.
Will my account be frozen or terminated without warning?
No. HL Hunt does not use automated terminations. If your dispute ratio or volume pattern changes, your risk manager calls you to work through it. Any change to terms is agreed in writing.
Is a rolling reserve required?
Sometimes. Where a reserve is needed, the percentage and release schedule are disclosed in your proposal before you sign, and reserves are reviewed for reduction as your processing history matures.
What are the rates for high-risk processing?
Rates are quoted per business based on vertical, volume, ticket size, and history. Every fee is listed in your proposal. There are no monthly, PCI, gateway, or setup fees.
Still have questions?
Talk to a payments specialist, or create an account and see it for yourself.
Start accepting payments today.
Create your account in minutes. Underwriting is done up front, so you are approved before your first charge.