Mastercard has said financial payment companies must stop allowing US customers to buy legal marijuana in shops with its debit cards. Because marijuana remains illegal at a federal level in the US, customers in the 38 states where it is allowed are usually forced to pay in cash. Mastercard said the move comes after it found some shops accepted debit payments despite the federal ban. Marijuana advocates have called for new laws to ease sales of legal cannabis. "As we were made aware of this matter, we quickly investigated it. In accordance with our policies, we instructed the financial institutions that offer payment services to cannabis merchants and connects them to Mastercard to terminate the activity," Mastercard said in a statement on Wednesday. "The federal government considers cannabis sales illegal, so these purchases are not allowed on our systems," the statement continued. The crackdown aims to stop marijuana businesses, known as dispensaries, from offering the option to customers of paying with a debit card after entering their account's PIN number. Marijuana is currently legal for medical use in 38 states. It is also legal for adults over 21 years old to buy for recreational use in 23 states, including Washington DC and the entire US West Coast. In Canada, where cannabis was legalised on the national level in 2018, customers are often permitted to make payments with credit or debit cards. Sunburn Cannabis CEO Brady Cobb criticised Mastercard's decision, saying "this move is another blow to the state-legal cannabis industry and patients/consumers who want to access this budding category". The Democrat-controlled US Senate is hoping to pass a law that would make it easier for cannabis businesses to interact with financial institutions. But earlier this month, top Republican Senator John Cornyn described the bill's passage as "wishful thinking". lol
I thought dispensaries just essentially did debit card payments as an atm withdrawal to avoid this legal BS
Mastercard is the reason why seeds had to be removed from the Shop earlier this year. What the article fails to mention is the insane fine that they will impose on the business if Mastercard is used. ETA: By "they", I mean the financial institution that the business uses. The business could also then be blacklisted by a huge database of financial institutions and then be in even more of a mess.
I read that visa started doing it before mastercard, I don't know the specifics, but mabye some seed vendors have a workaround....I guess I'll have to wait until I need to order seeds again to find out.
ILGM says Bank Transfers, Credit Cards, Cash and Bitcoin are still all valid on their site. Guess I'll find out when I try to order next month. The funny thing is, seeds are pretty much legal now. The DEA treats them like hemp so if they don't contain any THC, and they don't, they won't confiscate them them any more. Apparently.
a sale is a sale! its easy to ask your neighbor, buddy, fellow, business man ,to use his credit account for your MC sales, pay him 3-5% . easy to add the cost to the customer?
Same shit in Aussieland too Vostok, had to make a fkn bitcoin account a few weeks ago to be able to order seeds again from the UK. But the usual story, fkn Australian customs! There god dam cannabis seeds, not poppies, not coca or tobacco seeds. Need to get enough fem seeds through so i can just start reverse sexing them for fem pollen to just breed my own gear.
I wish i kept my seeds, i had like 200 i would've sent you multiple parcels I'm sure a few would have got to you.
Got a heap of bag seed here D from over the last few decades but I'm really only to be able to grow feminised gear. Just goanna have to grow bigger plants to make this seed ordering worth it. Customs has nabbed my first order from the Vault the 2nd got through but its still a $150 loss. And it all adds up eventually.
loosing much cash, consider shopping locally caveman no longer floats but medi is still around Spoiler I see they are really cheap compared to me, $11.00 per seed and for you no customs I'm gonna get that bubblegum auto
I agree, and they come and go very fast, mediseeds has been around a bit(2years?) just had a look on TSE, and is very silent on local sales but normally theirs a members favorite
I guess that's why dispensaries have ATM's in them. I remember the one by my place had a $1 ATM surcharge and all the proceeds went to charity. I think it got up to $200,000 before cards were legally accepted. lol.
