Merchant Accounts I have been in the supplements business for over 30 years. I run a retail store until 2008. Closed the retail store because I online store was the future. It was for over 10 years until this last pass year. Vitamins, Pre-Workouts, even omega 3 has been classified as Pseudo-pharmacetical long beach ca

I have been in the supplements business for over 30 years. I run a retail store until 2008. Closed the retail store because I online store was the future. It was for over 10 years until this last pass year. Vitamins, Pre-Workouts, even omega 3 has been classified as "pseudo-pharmaceuticals" I never heard of this word let along knew what it meant. So I have to look it up. Pseudo-pharmaceticals are products that make health claims- including supplements, skin-care, teeth whitening, cream with vitamins etc. No I am not making this up. I know because after doing business with Wells Fargo for over 10 years, they cancel my merchant account. Which was pretty upsetting because they have no reason. It was just sorry you can’t process credit card through our bank Talking about being devastated. How can you run a online business without accepting credit card? But I still have a paypal account , right!  NO that was the next account that they call deactivated.

So I get on the phone call other merchant accounts and within 2 weeks I was back up run my supplement online business. Well that lasted 2 months. Again an email was send "We are sorry your account has been deactivated. Now paypal hold your money for 6 months. That in case of any charge back. Merchants account are a little better only a couple of weeks. I am just a small mom and pop web site. I got money going out and no money coming in. So once again I on the call trying to get a merchant account. I have excellent credit an great business record. But now I am getting turn down left and right with merchant accounts. What is going on?? I talk to dozens other online web site many that have been in business like I have for years that having the same problems. Years in business and now our businesses are in jeopardy because we can’t accept credit card. Then I finally found out WHY! Pseudo-pharmaceticals.     

Now this is when the story gets interesting. Lets get back to the "product that makes health claims. How can you sells a teeth whitening without making a health claims? How can you sell  anti-aging cream without making a health claim? How can you sell omega 3 without make a claim? And the biggest question is why can I sell all my supplements on Amazon, But I can’t get a merchant account for sells the same products on my own web site. Why doesn’t  amazon  has to follow the same rules? This question really baffled me. So I started to do some digging. Amazon surprise everyone last year news.

1) Amazon Makes $1 Billion Splash in Health Care, Buying PillPack" 

2) Start Selling with Shopify Amazon Integration Solutions

3) Amazon quietly starts using Stripe to process some e-commerce transactions.

Now I have 4 web sites, ebay, amazon, and shopify accounts. Yes I am a hard worker.

Now Stripe is one of the merchant account that "deactivate my account on Shopify.  This is funny to me because my Shopify account that uses Stripe as a merchant account and both these was integrated to my amazon account until Stripe "deactivate my account" on shopify due to me selling "pseudo-pharmacuticals" but my amazon account was not "deactivate" and I was selling the same items.

I use the same data/cvs files to update from all my web sites to shopify to amazon. But I can’t get a mechant account for my web site and for Shopify. But hey my amazon account is going strong at 18% plus of my profit and free shipping I am not paying my bills with it.

Is anyone there beside me connection these dots.

Next time you pick up a box of Crest 3d white strip "Professional Effects delivers professional-level teeth whitening results and removes 14 years of teeth stains for a whiter smile" Doesn't that follow under "health claims". How about Hemp Oil for Pain Relief and Anti-Anxiety Support - All-Natural Ingredients - Promotes Relaxation & General Good Health" or Testo Extreme Anabolic Strongest Legal Testosterone Booster : Muscle Growth & Strength Body Building Supplement. By the way all three are sold on amazon.

No merchant account or paypal deactivate here" I guess Pseudo-pharmaceutical just apply to the little people who spent over 30 years of blood sweat and tears. And not to a company worth a trillion dollars.