Seconds at the counter
Time the full flow, including PIN entry or bank-account enrolment, on a real customer. A method that adds thirty seconds per transaction changes staffing at peak.
How to compare dispensary payment processors
You run a dispensary and need in-store acceptance that works with your POS and your queue.
Short answer
For a dispensary, the deciding factors are narrower than for cannabis payments generally: the acceptance method must clear a customer in seconds at the counter, reconcile with your POS without manual work, and survive a weekend hardware failure. Compare providers on documented in-store methods, named POS integrations, per-transaction and per-item cost against your average ticket, and the published support channel — then confirm reserve and termination terms in the agreement.
This page does not rank providers and makes no claim about any company that its own public pages do not state. Every cell below links to the source page and the date we read it. No "best", cheapest, approval-rate or network-acceptance claim appears here about anyone, including us. Last reviewed August 18, 2026.
What to compare
POS reconciliation
Whether the payment appears in the POS ticket automatically, how refunds and voids are handled, and which system is authoritative when the two disagree at close.
Effect on average ticket and cash handling
Non-cash acceptance usually shifts basket size and reduces cash on site. Model the change in armoured pickup and reconciliation labour alongside processing cost.
Multi-location and delivery coverage
Whether the same method covers second locations, online pre-orders and delivery drivers, or whether each channel needs a separate provider and separate reconciliation.
Hardware ownership and failure cover
Who owns the terminals, what replacement takes, and what the store does on the day a device fails.
Compliance fit in your state
State rules and your licence conditions can restrict specific acceptance methods. Confirm the method against your state's rules before signing.
What each provider publishes
Sourced from each company's own public pages. Blank cells mean the fact is not published, not that it is unfavourable.
| Attribute | POSaBIT | Paybotic | Aeropay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment methods publicly documented | Names POS payments with split payments and multiple processor support, debit payments, and "POSaBIT Pay", a pay-by-bank option it describes as powered by Plaid.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Its solutions index names PIN debit card processing, eCheck/ACH, eCommerce payment processing, gift card programs, merchant cash advance, cannabis banking (checking accounts) and a smart safe.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Names Pay (bank-linked payments), Payout, AeroSync (bank account connection) and Guard.Source, read August 18, 2026 |
| Stated market focus | Cannabis retail across in-store, online ordering and delivery, described as omni-channel; no non-cannabis verticals were named on the pages read.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Names retail cannabis dispensaries, medical marijuana dispensaries and delivery, CBD/hemp retail and CBD/hemp eCommerce.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Published use cases are gaming, specialized retail, e-commerce, marketplaces and subscriptions.Source, read August 18, 2026 |
| Publicly documented POS or software integrations | Its integrations page names Dutchie, Jane, Dispense, Weedmaps, Leafly, Wikileaf, Metrc, BioTrack, Headset, Alpine IQ, Onfleet, Green Check, Divvy, Enlighten, Eyerate, Sticky Cards, Springbit and GBG, and refers to open APIs.Source, read August 18, 2026 | No named third-party POS or software integration partners and no developer documentation were found on the pages read; the debit page instead states "no integration with the POS system necessary".Source, read August 18, 2026 | Publishes developer documentation at dev.aero.inc and a merchant knowledge base at help.aeropay.com.Source, read August 18, 2026 |
| How onboarding starts on the public site | Public entry points are "Request a Demo" and a support/contact form; no self-serve application was exposed.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Public entry points are a "Get Started" contact form and a phone number; no online application is exposed.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Public entry point is a demo request; no self-serve application was exposed on the pages read.Source, read August 18, 2026 |
| Pricing information published publicly | No rate card is published on its payments page; the published path is "Book a Demo".Source, read August 18, 2026 | No rate card is published. The debit page refers to a one-time onboarding cost and "low monthly fees" without amounts, and a promotion page advertises waived monthly maintenance fees and up to five free terminals per location.Source, read August 18, 2026 | No rate card was found on the pages read, and no dedicated public pricing page was located on 18 August 2026.Source, read August 18, 2026 |
| Support model described publicly | Publishes a support phone number (1 855 767 2248), a support request form and a demo request form.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Publishes a support phone number (844.420.4729), a support email address and a "24/7 Dedicated Support" statement.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Lists a support centre for personal users and a separate merchant knowledge base; no support phone number or published hours were found on the pages read.Source, read August 18, 2026 |
| Limitations stated on the provider's own pages | States it is "PCI DSS compliant & TLS-Certified where possible" and describes POSaBIT Pay as requiring the customer to connect a bank account through Plaid.Source, read August 18, 2026 | States that because cannabis is federally illegal most banks and national card networks will not process these transactions; its debit product requires the customer to enter a PIN, and its banking product requires app-loaded funds or a linked external bank account.Source, read August 18, 2026 | Not published publicly. |
Head-to-head detail: Cannabis Pay Hub vs POSaBIT, Cannabis Pay Hub vs Paybotic, Cannabis Pay Hub vs Aeropay.
Questions operators ask
- What payment methods can a dispensary actually accept?
- In practice: cash, PIN-based debit where the provider supports it, ACH or pay-by-bank for pre-orders and some in-store flows, and closed-loop or account-funded wallets. Standard credit card acceptance is not available to plant-touching retailers on the major networks.
- Should I buy payments from my POS vendor?
- Bundling simplifies reconciliation and support. Separating them means a payments change does not force a POS migration. Either way, confirm portability: what transfers if you leave, and how long you keep access to reporting.
- What is a fair way to compare quotes?
- Put every quote on the same monthly volume, transaction count and average ticket, then add monthly, gateway, PCI, chargeback, hardware and reserve costs. The cost calculator publishes the formulas so a quote can be checked independently.
Keep reading
Other guides: How to compare cannabis payment processors · Cannabis ACH and pay-by-bank providers: how to compare · Cannabis debit payment alternatives: the options compared
Related references on this site
Definitions, state rules and solution pages that support the criteria used in this guide.
GuideRetail operationsA dispensary lives or dies at the counter. This page is about the retail floor specifically: how each payment option behaves in a queue, what your budtenders have to do, how the tender lands in the POS, and what close looks like at 9pm.Open ArticleYour Dispensary Account Was Terminated: The First 72 HoursIf acceptance has just been withdrawn, the priority order is: keep trading, protect your money, get the reason in writing, and start a replacement arrangement.Open QuestionDispensary payment processing feesThere is no single published rate. Dispensary payment costs are usually built from a per-transaction fee or percentage, a monthly platform or account fee, hardware or gateway charges, and sometimes reserve requirements — and they vary by payment method, provider, ticket size and volume. Compare total monthly cost per transaction, not headline rates.Open QuestionWhy do cannabis merchant accounts get terminatedCannabis payment accounts are usually shut down for one of four reasons: the sponsor bank or network ends the program the account sat under, the merchant's activity did not match what was disclosed at underwriting, a compliance or monitoring review flagged the account, or risk metrics such as chargebacks, returns or volume spikes crossed the provider's thresholds. Terminations are more often a portfolio or programme decision than a judgement about one store.Open QuestionCan I pay for weed with a credit cardIn most of the United States, licensed plant-touching dispensaries cannot accept ordinary Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover credit card payments, because the major card networks do not permit their products to be used for federally illegal cannabis sales. Dispensaries typically rely on cash, PIN debit-style solutions where a provider and sponsor bank support them, ACH for some flows, and closed-loop or app-based wallets.Open Articleour analysis of dispensary checkout speedDispensary checkout speed is usually limited by the payment step, not the register or the budtender.Open
Where you are today
Four ways operators start with us on provider selection
New or pre-revenue business
Not processing yet. We map which payment methods your license type and products can realistically support, what each costs, and what your application file needs before you open.
Plan your payment setupOperating and looking to switch
Already processing but paying too much, funding too slowly, or working around a system that does not fit. Send statements and we return a line-by-line read plus alternatives.
Review my current setupRecently shut down or restricted
Account terminated, frozen, capped or moved to reserve. We help you interpret the notice, pursue held funds, and rebuild with fewer single points of failure.
Get help with a complex accountDeclined during underwriting
Turned down on application. We read the decline reason, identify what was missing or mismatched in the file — licence, ownership, product mix, banking — and rebuild the submission before it goes back out.
Review a declined application