Squarespace + CBD: 2023 Edition

Can you sell CBD products on Squarespace? In short, yes. You can sell CBD products on your Squarespace website. That said, if you’re wondering whether Squarespace plays a role in the process, the answer is no. Squarespace’s native payment processing doesn’t allow CBD payments, but there are legal ways around it.

Because of the varied legal status of CBD products from state to state and even city to city, CBD sales are considered high-risk. That’s why so many payment processors and merchant account providers don’t process these kinds of payments.

Squarespace is unique in that, rather than providing all services as a package like some website providers (think WordPress and all its built-in, right-in-the-dashboard integrations), Squarespace instead integrates with a host of external apps and programs from within your Squarespace dashboard.

The typical payment processor and gateway integrations used on Squarespace websites include Stripe and PayPal, which work well enough for most merchants. But Stripe and PayPal have something else in common: they don’t allow cannabidiol, or CBD, product sales and payments.

So, if you can’t process payments on Squarespace using Stripe or PayPal, how is it possible to accept credit or debit card CBD payments on Squarespace?

You need a CBD merchant account for high-risk businesses and a payment gateway you can connect with your Squarespace website.

What’s a merchant account for CBD sales?

CBD merchant accounts allow CBD businesses to sell products made from hemp and cannabidiol, as long as the products meet the merchant account provider’s requirements. Some merchant accounts might allow a business to sell any kind of CBD product they choose, while others are more stringent.

Certain industries, such as vape and eCig stores, are considered high-risk industries for various reasons, such as typical prices, type of clientele, and more. Most merchant account providers consider CBD businesses extremely high-risk, placing them into a category all their own. In fact, even some high-risk merchant account servicers don’t partner with CBD companies. But Zenti specializes in high-risk merchant accounts. Reach out, and we’ll get you set up with a CBD merchant account fast.

Why do businesses in the CBD industry need high-risk merchant accounts?

Due to minimal regulation in growing, cultivating, selling, and distributing hemp and CBD products, payment processors consider the resulting products exceedingly high-risk, which makes it harder for these businesses to obtain merchant accounts. One of the ways to make this happen for your Squarespace CBD business is with a CBD merchant account, payment gateway, and Shopify integration from Zenti.

But why is the Shopify integration necessary? Doesn’t Squarespace have everything you need to sell your products? For typical products that aren’t under heavy scrutiny by the FDA, yes. So, how can you accept CBD payments on Squarespace?

To facilitate payment acceptance for CBD on Squarespace, you need to do a bit of the Hokey Pokey:

• Shopify integrates with Squarespace…

• Zenti integrates with Shopify…

Zenti doesn’t have a direct Squarespace integration, so the Shopify integration acts as the “connector” between your Squarespace website and your high-risk merchant account through Zenti.

The FDA’s Influence on the Perception of CBD Merchants and Products

A business could have a stellar credit score — both the business and its owner — but, unfortunately, credit scores don’t carry much weight when determining the fate of a CBD merchant account. It’s all about the product itself.

For instance, CBD products and/or businesses tend to…

Have labels with unconfirmed or unproven claims regarding product efficacy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives thousands of products and product applications annually for FDA approval. One of the FDA’s categories that aren’t high on the list for approval is nutraceuticals, simply because they won’t cure a disease. CBD falls under the nutraceuticals umbrella. While nutraceuticals aren’t high on the FDA radar, claims made by some CBD companies about their products have certainly caught the FDA’s attention, as evidenced by warning letters sent to businesses selling CBD products outside compliance.

Any claims surrounding CBD, its oils, and its positive effects and qualities haven’t been substantiated or approved by the FDA. Plus, without more peer-reviewed studies or published journal articles illustrating the perceived and actual benefits of using CBD — well, businesses can say just about anything they want to.

For instance, when the name CBD first began circulating, people claimed it provided a THC-free way to relax and reduce anxiety. Today’s cultivators, sellers, and distributors consider CBD the Miracle Drug that can heal everything from depression to autism — it’s the new “colloidal silver” of sorts, but CBD gummy infomercials don’t exist.

CBD products and/or businesses also tend to…

Have higher than average chargeback ratios, which could very well have to do with those unsubstantiated product labels

Every business has the occasional chargeback. There’s really no industry that’s immune. Chargebacks even occur in the fuel industry, but gas station owners are better cushioned against potential chargebacks than many other industries. That hold that gets placed on your card when you use it to pay at the pump? That’s to protect the gas station merchant and the credit card company from potential chargebacks.

In the world of CBD, on the other hand, the chances of a chargeback skyrocket.

Why does the CBD industry have high chargebacks?

One of the main reasons for chargebacks in the CBD industry is that people expect it to live up to its claims. CBD manufacturers tout the product’s health benefits extensively, but when a consumer tries the product, if they don’t feel it lives up to their expectations or doesn’t solve any of the problems manufacturers claim it will, people are likely to initiate a chargeback.

So, isn’t Squarespace worried about these chargebacks?

Financial institutions responsible for underwriting merchant accounts don’t enjoy partnering with businesses in high-risk industries or legally gray areas. CBD products match both those criteria, causing traditional credit card processing and merchant account companies to deny services. Squarespace’s native payment processing doesn’t allow CBD purchases, so chargebacks don’t affect Squarespace. CBD merchants using Squarespace for website hosting must have a separate merchant account and payment processor connected to their Squarespace account to accept CBD payments.

CBD legislation varies widely depending on location. That can create multiple issues for CBD merchants, who may become embroiled in legal problems affecting distribution and sales, ultimately leading to lost revenue. It’s important to know the laws in your city and state regarding the sale of CBD and hemp products to keep you and your business protected.

With a high-risk merchant account for CBD merchants, you can start accepting payments from your customers for the products they want. A CBD merchant account and CBD payment gateway can get you selling CBD on Squarespace fast.

So, the first order of business: A payment gateway that supports CBD payments.

Why you need a payment gateway for CBD sales

You’re not the first person to dive in, excited, with your wallet in one hand and your heart in the other, building your CBD site or landing pages on Squarespace — only to discover that the payment providers offered through Squarespace don’t partner with businesses selling CBD products or businesses in high-risk industries.

And a CBD merchant is both.

Plus, Squarespace doesn’t just come out of the proverbial box ready-to-use. While it’s functional, perhaps even overly so for some businesses, for CBD merchants, it’s missing some key components.

For instance, you need a shopping cart that’s CBD-friendly and reliable to connect the tools you need to make this a reality. Below, we offer some helpful tips so you don’t have to start all over, from scratch, to build the CBD website you need — you’ve already got it in Squarespace.

We can help you save time and money with a high-risk CBD merchant account that seamlessly connects your Squarespace website to Shopify in a snap.

How can you start processing CBD payments on Squarespace?

There are three ingredients for the perfect CBD e-website on Squarespace:

• A solid, CBD-friendly gateway

• A high-risk merchant CBD account

• A merchant account service provider that’s got your back

With those items, you’ll have a Squarespace website fully capable of supporting your customers through every CBD purchase. If you’ve already discovered that both Stripe and PayPal can’t help you complete your CBD store, reach out to learn more about our dedicated CBD merchant accounts.

Simple steps to setting up your Squarespace CBD online store include:

1. Call or email us. Let us know what you need. If you’re not sure, we’ll help you figure it out.

2. We’ll pair you with a dedicated payments expert to learn more about you, your business, your professional goals, what you want to sell in your store, and how much time you have to finish the project.

3. Next, you’ll need to connect a third-party shopping cart to replace the one-size-fits-all cart that came with your Squarespace site. Don’t worry. It might take a little time, but we’re the payments experts — we’ll find the perfect integration no matter what you need.

4. Set up your CBD payment processor account.

5. Set up your Shopify cart

CBD products, as mentioned above, are considered high-risk products in a high-risk industry. Your newly connected Shopify cart is what you need to get sales processed. To facilitate purchases, simply install Shopify Lite into your Squarespace website, or add Shopify Buy Buttons to your product pages. But before we dive into buy buttons and how they work, here’s more information about how, at the end of this journey, you’ll have a highly functioning eCommerce website that keeps your customers satisfied and processes high-risk payments.

Shopify’s Buy Button puts the power of a Shopify store right in your Squarespace site. It can be a little confusing at first, getting all these moving parts to function cohesively, especially when your products are in a high-risk category like nutraceuticals and CBD products.

Much like an Amazon product page, there’s an Add to Cart functionality for people who want to continue shopping and a Buy It Now button that lets customers simply skip the cart and buy the product. Once you’re ready, Shopify will generate the code you’ll need to add the Shopify Buy Button.

At this point, you’re almost done and nearly able to say, “Yes, I can sell CBD on Squarespace!”

This integration lets you choose:

• Button styles

• Fixed prices

• Add to cart functionality

• Custom URLs for the checkout experience

• And so much more.

Your new Shopify Button can even be configured to look just like your brand. It’s easy, costs much less than building a brand new site from scratch, and keeps a uniform, consistent look across your web properties.

Accept CBD Payments on Squarespace with Zenti

All you need now is to partner with the right high-risk merchant account provider. Zenti has everything you need to set up shop, take customer orders, and process CBD payments for your eCommerce business. Our Shopify integration connects to Squarespace, so you can sell your CBD products using our CBD payment gateway. Reach out to discuss your CBD merchant account with one of our high-risk payment experts today.