Payments & Cashless
Payment providers offering compliant alternatives to cash at cannabis retail: PIN debit, ACH transfers, and cashless options built to survive the industry's banking constraints. Federal status keeps traditional card networks out, so this category moves fast — and providers come and go.
Cannabis payments exist as a separate category because Visa, Mastercard, and the other major card networks prohibit their cards from being used on federally illegal transactions, and cannabis remains federally illegal regardless of state law. That fact rules out standard credit and debit processing at the register and has produced a workaround market instead: ACH-based apps that debit a customer's bank account directly, true PIN debit run through cannabis-friendly processors and state-chartered banks, and cash. A related product, the cashless ATM (structured as a disguised merchandise purchase to route around network rules), was widely used for years but has been the target of repeated card-network crackdowns, most visibly in 2022 and again in 2024-25 — some processors have shut the model down entirely, others still run a reduced or state-limited version.
Evaluate a payments provider first on whether its compliance story survives scrutiny: how the transaction is actually coded, which bank or processor is behind it, and whether it has weathered a network crackdown before rather than being new and untested. After that, compare transaction fees (often higher than conventional retail processing), chargeback and dispute handling, funding speed, and how tightly it integrates with the dispensary's POS so cash reconciliation isn't done twice. Ask directly what happens to the retailer's account and cash flow if a given method is suspended by a card network — since it has happened before, treat continuity planning as part of the product, not an edge case.
Aeropay
UnclaimedPay-by-bank (ACH/A2A) payments platform for cannabis dispensaries and delivery, with bank-linking, fraud tools, and wide POS integrations.
CanPay
UnclaimedPay-by-bank debit app for cannabis retailers with a built-in shopper rewards program; accepted in-store, online, and for delivery.
Dutchie Pay
UnclaimedDutchie's native pay-by-bank checkout for dispensaries, offering zero chargebacks and next-day settlement inside the Dutchie POS/e-commerce stack.
KindTap
UnclaimedCompliant digital payments platform for cannabis offering both cashless debit checkout and a first-of-its-kind consumer credit/BNPL product.
Merrco Payments
UnclaimedCanadian payment processor for licensed cannabis and CBD merchants — POS terminals, e-commerce, and EFT — now operating under parent KORT Payments.
Paybotic
UnclaimedMerchant-services provider for cannabis, CBD, and hemp businesses — ACH/debit processing, cannabis banking, cash advances, and smart safes.
Events & dates for payments & cashless
See all on the calendar →Questions about payments & cashless
- Why can't dispensaries just take Visa or Mastercard?
- Visa, Mastercard, and other major networks prohibit their cards from being used for transactions that are illegal under federal law. Because cannabis is still a Schedule I substance federally, even in states where it's legal, card networks bar its use for direct cannabis purchases regardless of state law.
- What is a cashless ATM and is it still legal?
- A cashless ATM routes a debit transaction through a bank account as if it were an ATM withdrawal or a disguised merchandise sale, letting a customer pay by card indirectly. Card networks have repeatedly cracked down on the practice (notably in 2022 and 2024-25) as a rules violation, so its legality and availability vary by processor and have changed multiple times in recent years.
- What's the difference between ACH payment apps and true PIN debit?
- ACH apps move funds directly between the customer's and dispensary's bank accounts, typically via a QR code or linked account, and settle on a delay. True PIN debit runs like a normal debit transaction through a processor willing to code it correctly for cannabis, settling faster but requiring a bank relationship that supports it.
- Is cannabis banking and payment access improving?
- It's improved gradually as more state-chartered banks and credit unions serve the industry, but it remains constrained by federal law; proposals like the SAFE Banking Act would ease it further if passed. As of 2025-26 the market is still built around workarounds rather than standard card processing.
- What should a dispensary check before adopting a cashless payment method?
- Confirm how the provider codes the transaction, which bank or processor stands behind it, and whether it has continued operating through past card-network crackdowns. Also check chargeback handling, fee structure, and how funds settle, since disruptions to a payment method can hit cash flow with little notice.
Belong on this page?
If your company serves the industry in payments & cashless, add it to the Register free. Listings are reviewed by a person and checked against a live site.