Accepted Nutra Categories
The term, “nutraceutical” – a combination of the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” – can be defined as any type of food or fortified food product that is used to supplement a diet, prevent illness or maintain health.
According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration, unlike pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals are tested and regulated under a different set of guidelines than those covering “conventional” foods and drug products. The difference in regulations does not deter NMA, which offers solutions to fit a wide range of nutraceutical e-commerce businesses – from startups to established businesses of all sizes. NMA provides payment processing to companies that sell the following products:
- Dietary supplements
- Botanical ingredient medicines
- Multivitamins
- Natural male enhancements
- Weight loss supplements
- Sports performance enhancements
- Functional foods
- Herbal products
- Cognitive enhancers/nootropics
- Skin care and other topicals
- Hair and lash growthsupplements
- Other nutraceuticals
NMA offers merchant accounts to an extensive list of e-commerce, card-not-present businesses – typically classified as high-risk. Learn more about our high-risk merchant accounts, or reach out directly to speak with one of NMA’s high-risk experts. Learn More »
Chargebacks: The 411
The nutraceutical industry is prone to chargebacks for a variety of reasons, causing merchant accounts for nutra businesses to be considered high risk by banks and regulatory bodies.
The label “high risk” doesn’t necessarily indicate unlawful or malicious activity; high risk simply means that a merchant account needs additional supervision and management to keep the account healthy and active.
Chargebacks are a major detriment to the nutra merchant account, and can occur for a multitude of reasons.
Product not as described or defective
» Nutra products are not as regulated as pharmaceuticals and the health benefits are often unproven and commonly disputed
» Dissatisfied customers who dispute credit card transactions.
Fraud is common for all categories of card-not-present businesses simply due to the absence of in-person, cardholder verification
» Actual fraud, where someone other than the cardholder purchases a product
» Friendly fraud, where the actual cardholder makes the purchase and later disputes the transaction
Cancelled recurring transaction
» A merchant charges a consumer’s card after they have requested a cancellation
» A consumer isn’t aware or forgets that their card was to be billed – as in cases with a free trial period followed by monthly billing charges – and wants a refund
Chargebacks can be detrimental to a nutra merchant’s business, but with the right tools in place, can be successfully managed. The experts at NMA have partnered with an integrated, comprehensive suite of services to help prevent chargebacks, as well as suggested business practices to minimize disputed transactions.
Merchants not actively preventing and fighting disputed transactions are doing their nutra business a disservice. Maintaining a low chargeback ratio is critical to the long-term success and prosperity of a nutra business.
- Banks often terminate merchant accounts with chargeback ratios higher than card brand approved thresholds
- Having a high chargeback ratio can negatively impact future merchant account approvals
Nutra Merchant Account Process
NMA is the leading expert in nutra payment processing, and prioritizes a long-lasting, healthy merchant account. Nutra businesses do not fit the cookie-cutter mold, and one-size-fits-all merchant accounts for these companies have proven to be ineffective for long-term success.
Fast approvals are dependent on full packages submitted to NMA’s underwriting team. The documents we require help to validate important facets of the business, and assess risk based on actual data and business history, as opposed to just the industry type.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- Signed and completed merchant processing application (MPA)
- Validation of settlement bank account (voided check or bank letter)
- Validation of business entity (articles of incorporation, fictitious name filings etc)
- Validation of ownership (driver’s license/passport, beneficial ownership information, etc)
- Supporting financial documentation (personal and/or corporate tax returns, bank statements, processing statements)
- Confirmation of third party vendor agreements (CRM providers, advertising networks, fulfillment and customer service)
- Thorough review of the merchant’s website that includes vetting of the product, ingredients, marketing and compliance
Once the application is submitted, the NMA underwriting process begins:
- NMA reviews the nutra business and assesses its payment processing history
- For nutra businesses new to processing, NMA will review additional factors such as financial strength, third party vendors the merchant utilizes, etc
- Implement solutions to best benefit the nutraceutical business
- Potential for additional documentation requests
Upon approval, NMA will set up the merchant account, deploying the payment gateway, chargeback mitigation software, and additional fraud-fighting solutions. From the second the nutra account goes live, the experts at NMA actively monitor the account to mitigate risk and sustain the health of the business.