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Directory · Retail Technology

Payments & Cashless

Pay-by-bank apps, payments built into dispensary POS systems, PIN-debit processors and Canadian card processors for licensed cannabis retail. Bank accounts, lending and compliance monitoring for cannabis businesses are listed under Banking & Finance.

11 listedRetail Technology

US dispensaries generally cannot run ordinary card payments because marijuana remains a federally controlled substance, whatever a state allows: adult-use marijuana is still in Schedule I, and marijuana under a state medical marijuana license moved to Schedule III, not out of federal control, on April 28, 2026. The workarounds are cash, pay-by-bank apps that move money by ACH, PIN-based debit arrangements, and payment products built into the POS. When comparing them, ask how each transaction is routed and which bank stands behind it, who pays the fee (shopper or store), how fast funds settle, who carries chargebacks, how the payments reconcile in the POS, and what happens if a bank or network cuts the provider off. Canada is different: cannabis is federally legal there, and licensed stores can take debit and credit cards through processors that will underwrite them.

The standalone pay-by-bank providers come first. Aeropay (Chicago) links shoppers' accounts through its own Aerosync tool, which it says reaches more than 12,000 banks, and promises same-day settlement. CanPay (Littleton, Colorado) runs a debit app and network that only admits retailers banked at approved financial institutions. Stronghold's ACH engine powered TreezPay at its 2020 launch. KindTap pairs bank payments with a revolving credit line for shoppers. Several POS companies sell their own payments: Dutchie Pay by Bank settles the next business day and Dutchie takes on chargeback liability; TreezPay lets a store run several providers at once and switch between them; BLAZEPAY offers ACH scan-to-pay with a same-day settlement option.

Two more POS-built products round out the US group: POSaBIT pairs debit card acceptance with POSaBIT Pay, an ACH option, and Cova Pay offers ACH and debit in the US. Paybotic (West Palm Beach) takes a different approach. Its PIN-based debit product charges the shopper a convenience fee instead of the store, and the company also sells ACH, cannabis banking, smart safes and cash advances in 26 states. For Canada, Merrco, founded in 2016, says it covers more than half of the country's cannabis market with terminals, online payments and its PayHQ platform; Cova Pay CDN processes debit and credit for Cova POS stores. No US provider here publishes cannabis merchant rates. Every fact here comes from the company's own site on the date shown on its listing.

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Questions about payments & cashless

Why can't dispensaries take Visa or Mastercard?
Marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law even where a state licenses its sale. Since April 28, 2026, marijuana subject to a state medical marijuana license is in Schedule III (21 CFR 1308.13), and all other marijuana, including adult-use, remains in Schedule I (21 CFR 1308.11). Aeropay's own guide, written when all marijuana was in Schedule I, says federal illegality is why Visa, Mastercard and American Express prohibit credit card payments for cannabis, and it warns that processors offering cards to cannabis businesses risk penalties. That is why the US providers on this page sell bank transfers, debit arrangements or POS-built ACH. Canada is the exception: Merrco and Cova Pay CDN process debit and credit cards for licensed Canadian retailers.
How does pay-by-bank (ACH) work at a dispensary?
The shopper links a bank account once, then pays by QR code, payment link or a tap in an app, and the money moves by ACH. Aeropay links accounts through Aerosync, and Dutchie says linking takes under a minute; both cite more than 12,000 supported banks. Settlement varies: Aeropay advertises same-day or faster, Dutchie the next business day, and BLAZEPAY offers a same-day option. Aeropay and CanPay say shoppers pay no fee. Dutchie states it covers 100% of chargeback liability on Pay by Bank. Ask each provider how voids, refunds and returned payments are handled.
How do PIN-debit and cashless ATM models differ from pay-by-bank?
As Paybotic describes its PIN-debit product, the shopper pays with a debit card or PIN-enabled credit card, enters a PIN, and pays a small convenience fee similar to an out-of-network ATM charge; the dispensary pays no processing fee and settles as early as the next business day. Aeropay describes a cashless ATM as a terminal that prints a receipt for a rounded withdrawal, with the budtender giving change, and its guide argues against that model on compliance grounds. Pay-by-bank apps debit the exact amount from a linked account. Whatever the model, ask how the transaction is coded and which bank and network carry it.
Should I use my POS company's payments or a standalone provider?
POS-built products keep payments and reconciliation in one system: Dutchie Pay by Bank works across Dutchie POS, e-commerce and kiosks; Cova Pay is available only with Cova POS; TreezPay lets a store run several providers and switch if one goes down, which Treez says supports up to 99% uptime; BLAZEPAY and POSaBIT Pay are native to their POS. Standalone providers move with you if you change POS: Aeropay lists integrations with Jane, Treez, Flowhub, Blaze, Sweed and others, CanPay has integrated service partners, and Stronghold works through Treez, BLAZE and Tymber.
What does cannabis payment processing cost?
No US provider on this page publishes cannabis merchant rates. Aeropay claims processing costs 50% lower than cards; CanPay says the app is free for shoppers; Paybotic says shoppers pay the transaction fee on its PIN-debit product and advertises low upfront costs, waived monthly maintenance fees and up to five free terminals per location as a promotion. The only published rate found is Stronghold's online card price for CBD sellers, 3.8% plus 30 cents per transaction, which does not apply to cannabis. Ask for a written quote covering per-transaction, monthly, chargeback and settlement fees.
Can shoppers pay later or use credit at a dispensary?
KindTap offers KindTap Credit, a revolving line used through its app with no physical card; its legal pages say GFA Federal Credit Union funds the line and the minimum monthly payment is 25% of the balance plus charges. Paybotic says its PIN-based product accepts PIN-enabled credit cards as well as debit cards. In Canada, Merrco and Cova Pay CDN accept credit cards at licensed stores. Other US providers here offer bank-funded payments only.

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