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PrestaShop high-risk payment gateways: a software spotlight

PrestaShop is an excellent choice for start-up high-risk e-commerce merchants who need a scalable platform at minimum cost, because it offers a wide range of high-risk payment gateway integration options to PrestaShop website owners.

A+ rated and BBB accredited, Tasker Payment Gateways LLC has helped CBD, cigar, pipe, glass, bong, tactical, vape, and FFL-to- FFL PrestaShop site owners with high-risk payment gateways and merchant account recommendations for over a decade.

This page covers the top methods used to integrate high-risk payment processing, and some of the most common high-risk product types we encounter when working with PrestaShop businesses looking to set up a high-risk payment gateway.

PrestaShop makes high-risk e-commerce easy

PrestaShop offers many different payment options to its users. Among them you’ll find a couple of our preferred payment gateways: NMI and, maybe the most notable, Authorize.Net.

As a result of these integration possibilities, and some other features we’ll discuss below, PrestaShop is a great choice for anyone looking to create a scalable à la carte high-risk e-commerce website.

Both NMI and Authorize.Net specialize in high-risk markets – when set up correctly – but there are some important distinctions and careful steps that must be taken in order for either payment gateway to allow regulated products like CBD oil, premium cigars, glassware, bongs, tactical items, or vaporizers.

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Authorize.Net and NMI are available through PrestaShop

With both NMI and Authorize.Net available through PrestaShop, there are now more possibilities through a great platform that works with almost any budget. Whether you’re a CBD, vape, premium cigar, smoking accessory, or FFL-to-FFL licensed seller, setting up your payment gateway and getting your website started will often be relatively easy. That is, as long as you go through the proper channels and set up a merchant account that is appropriate for your business and for what you’re selling. If you are new to selling high-risk products online, please take a moment to carefully review the common high-risk questions section of our home page. There we discuss the differences between a payment gateway and a merchant account and what steps you should take to set up stable online credit card processing for a high-risk business.

We can help guide you through the process of setting up a high-risk payment gateway and provide you with merchant account recommendations and integration advice at no additional cost to you. You can read more about Tasker Payment Gateways LLC on our about us page.

Contact us any time to let us know more about your PrestaShop business and how we can help.

Free, open-source platform with premium add-ons

While PrestaShop is free to download, there is a fee for using most of their payment gateway options. In other words, it’s not entirely free to operate a high-risk e-commerce website on PrestaShop. Considering the built-in benefits, however, you won’t be spending anywhere near as much on things like SEO, business operations, or order management as you would with other site builders.

PrestaShop includes a built-in marketing program that allows you to create discounts and special offers. Through this marketing program, you can also access email marketing and connect social media channels to help you reach more potential customers.

Additionally, there is a customer management/loyalty program, as well as a built-in analytics program, so you can keep track of all relevant data and improve your website.

There is even a full set of developer features if you want to dive deep into your site’s programming. For a free e-commerce platform, PrestaShop is packed with useful features. There’s also a host of high-risk-friendly plug-ins available, should you wish to add new functionalities and features to your site.

Which high-risk products can you sell on PrestaShop?

PrestaShop integrates with both NMI and Authorize.Net, which means that a wide variety of high-risk business owners are able to sell their products using PrestaShop.

We’ll list a few frequently asked questions below. If you have any other questions or wonder if you’ll be able to sell your products on PrestaShop, you can always reach us here. We’re always more than happy to help, give some free advice, and have a chat about how to best meet your business’s needs.

Of course, you also need to consider all local, state, and federal laws that apply to your products. Anyone selling a regulated product online should always seek qualified legal advice before launching their website. Additionally, do your due diligence and review the terms and conditions of all your software providers, including PrestaShop.

Can you sell CBD on PrestaShop?

Yes, you can sell CBD and cannabidiol-based products using PrestaShop.

As far as we can see, there are no prohibitions in their terms and conditions. However, you will need to not only connect a CBD-friendly payment gateway via the PrestaShop add-on marketplace, but you’ll also need to make sure that you connect it to a CBD-friendly merchant account on the back end. This last piece is essential, so please contact us if you have any questions.

Our trusted, dedicated agents will work with you one-on-one to help you set up CBD-friendly payment processing that works perfectly with PrestaShop – even if it’s your first merchant account or payment gateway account.

Can you sell vape or e-liquid on PrestaShop?

Yes, PrestaShop allows you to sell vape and e-liquid products. Please read up on the PACT Act and consult an attorney before selling or shipping any vape-related products, though.

While PrestaShop does not prohibit the sale of ENDS or e-cigarettes, you still need to make sure you connect your PrestaShop e-commerce site with a high-risk-friendly payment gateway and merchant account combination. Luckily, both Authorize.Net and NMI are available through the PrestaShop add-on marketplace, and both work great for vape payment processing when set up correctly on the back end.

If you already have an account with either Authorize.Net or NMI but have been told your product is prohibited, then chances are that the back-end processing was set up incorrectly.

Having a suitable, high-risk-friendly merchant account connected to your payment gateway is crucial for any sale of vape and e-liquid. Not as important as seeking the advice of an attorney familiar with online ENDS sales, but still vitally important.

If you don’t have a vape-friendly merchant account, you can contact us here. We’re more than happy to give you some free recommendations and align you with a trusted partner that will walk you through each step one-on-one, by phone or email.

Can you sell pipes and glassware on PrestaShop?

Yes, there are no restrictions in PrestaShop’s terms and conditions (as far as we can see) that prohibit the sale of pipe and glassware through PrestaShop. Having said that, you still need to find a high-risk-friendly payment gateway through the PrestaShop add-on library and then connect your gateway to a high-risk merchant account – or reach out to us for help doing so.

The good news is that NMI and Authorize.Net are available options, and both work really well for pipe and glassware e-commerce.

However – and we know we sound like a broken record – in order for you to be set up for success, you also need to have a high-risk-friendly merchant account set up on the back end.

If you need any help setting up a pipe-and-glass-friendly payment gateway or merchant account, please reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch with a trusted independent agent who can go over all the pricing, details, and next steps.

Can you sell FFL items or tactical equipment on PrestaShop?

Yes, based on what we can see from the PrestaShop terms and conditions, there are no restrictions in place hindering FFL-to-FFL sales on PrestaShop.

However, we’d do you a disservice if we didn’t stress the fact that you need a tactical-friendly payment gateway and a properly set up FFL merchant account or a tactical merchant account in order to accept payments safely and successfully.

The good news is that you can have your pick between Authorize.Net or NMI in terms of payment gateways, as both are compatible with PrestaShop.

Can you sell premium cigars on PrestaShop?

Yes, you can sell premium cigars on PrestaShop but, again, only if you use a high-risk-friendly payment gateway and integrate your payment gateway with a premium cigar merchant account. Luckily, both NMI or Authorize.Net integrate with PrestaShop, and both cater to online premium cigar sales when set up correctly.

We love working with cigar merchants; please let us know if we can assist you with online payment processing in any way – even if it’s just for some friendly free advice.

High-risk payment gateways & PrestaShop

NMI recommends the plug-in on PrestaShop as a good solution for those looking to utilize their gateway, and that says a lot. If you’ve been having trouble with integration or are just looking for a simple solution for integrating PrestaShop with NMI, this may be the answer.

With Authorize.Net, in addition to the high-risk payment gateway choices, there is even more reason to consider using PrestaShop. Considering features like running multiple stores from one “back office,” you could set up both Authorize.Net and NMI for specific product stores to maximize your revenue stream and diversify your market base.

Educate yourself on high-risk payments and PrestaShop

If you are new to high-risk payment processing, please read our Authorize.Net page and our NMI page. Both have tons of essential information that can save you time, money, and frustration.

Getting started with high-risk payments on PrestaShop

It’s important to remember that when you set up your payment gateway, you also need to set up a merchant account that is compatible with your industry type.

Going directly to a payment gateway provider can be a recipe for frustration, held funds, and closed accounts. Payment gateway providers do not generally analyze your exact products and services, and therefore often recommend merchant accounts that result in shut-down accounts or held funds.

If you need some recommendations, we will help match you up with the right type of account for you and your products. After all, not setting up a proper merchant account will end up with your payment gateway unable to process transactions.

If you have any other questions about integration with PrestaShop or other gateways, please let us know. We are happy to help in any way we can – even if you use another firm for your services and plan on continuing to do so, we’re glad to offer an outside opinion or give you additional information.