Applying for a payment account as a pharmacy, supplement or wellness business takes more paperwork than signing up for a standard checkout. That's normal. The good news: if you prepare properly, approval can take days instead of weeks.
This is the checklist we'd give a pharmacist who's doing this between shifts. Work through it once, keep everything in one folder, and you'll be ready for any provider.
Why providers ask for so much
Payment providers are regulated. Before they let you take card payments, they have to check who you are (KYC, "know your customer"), what your business does (KYB, "know your business"), and how risky it is. This process is called underwriting.
For health businesses, they also need to be sure your products are legal, properly licensed and honestly marketed. The more clearly you show that, the faster it goes.
Part 1: Company and owner documents
- Company registration: Handelsregisterauszug or equivalent, recent
- Business registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) if applicable
- ID for each owner and director: passport or ID card
- Proof of address for owners, if requested
- Ownership structure: who owns what percentage. Anyone holding 25% or more is usually checked
- Company bank account details: the account where your payouts will go, in the company's name
- VAT number
Tip: make sure names and addresses match across every document. Small mismatches cause most delays.
Part 2: Licences and permits
This is where health businesses stand out, so make it easy for the provider:
- Pharmacy operating licence (Betriebserlaubnis), if you're a pharmacy
- Mail-order permit (Versandhandelserlaubnis), if you ship medicines
- Any product-specific approvals, such as for medical cannabis
- Supplier information for key products, if you sell supplements or CBD
- Lab certificates (certificates of analysis) for CBD products, showing THC content
Tip: your licence is your strongest document. Put it first.
Part 3: Your website
Providers will look at your webshop in detail. Before you apply, check:
- Clear prices on every product, including shipping costs
- Terms and conditions (AGB) that match how you actually sell
- Refund and cancellation policy, easy to find
- Full Impressum and contact details: phone and email
- Privacy policy
- Prescription step before ordering any prescription product
- No medical claims on supplement pages beyond approved EU health claims
- Clear subscription terms, if you offer repeat orders, including how to cancel
- Working checkout so the provider can see the payment flow
Tip: read your own product pages as if you were a sceptical stranger. Would "cures", "treats" or "guaranteed" make you nervous? Then change the wording.
Part 4: Processing information
- Expected monthly card volume: a realistic estimate
- Average order value
- Your main customer countries
- Previous processing statements: usually the last 3 to 6 months, if you've taken card payments before
- Your dispute (chargeback) and refund rates, if you know them
- Reason for switching, if you're leaving another provider
Be honest about volume. If you declare €20,000 a month and then process €80,000, expect a review and possibly held funds. It's better to declare a realistic range and update the provider when you grow.
Be honest about past closures. If a previous provider closed your account, say so and explain why. Specialist providers see this often. Finding out later is what damages trust.
Part 5: A short description of your business
Write three or four sentences you can paste into any application:
It sounds simple, but it answers most of an underwriter's first questions before they ask.
What happens after you apply
- Initial review: the provider checks your documents and website
- Questions: you may get a few follow-up questions. Answer quickly and fully
- Decision and terms: fees, any reserve, and processing limits
- Setup: connecting your webshop and, if relevant, your card terminals
- Go live: start small, and tell your provider before any big promotion
This checklist is general guidance. Exact requirements vary by provider and business type.