Compare Square, CanPay, Dutchie, and Cannabis Business Solutions: The Best Cannabis Payment Processor
January 9, 2025
Payment options for medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries, retailers and mobile trucks.

In the evolving cannabis industry, finding a reliable, compliant payment processor is crucial. While Square, CanPay, and Dutchie have gained attention, they often fall short for cannabis businesses. Cannabis Business Solutions (CBS) offers seamless, cost-effective solutions tailored to the industry's needs.
Let’s take a closer look at how different cannabis payment processors measure up.
Let’s take a closer look at how different cannabis payment processors measure up.
SQUARE: Limited
and Risky
- Non-Cannabis Compliant: Square’s offerings are not tailored nor compliant for the cannabis market. Businesses often face daily disruptions in customer or patient service.
- High Transaction Fees: Cannabis-related businesses using Square often report higher-than-average transaction fees, cutting into already slim profit margins.
- Uncertain Reliability: Square’s policies on cannabis are inconsistent, leaving dispensaries vulnerable to sudden account freezes or service terminations without notice or a reason.
- Slow Customer Opt-In: Requires a separate app, leading to lower customer opt-in compared to debit cards.
- High Fees: While lower than Square, CanPay’s fees are still higher than other processors.
- Limited Reach: Available in only a few states, restricting its use for many dispensaries and retail stores.
Dutchie Payments: Limited Flexibility and Higher Costs
Cannabis Business Solutions goes above and beyond for their cannabis clients. CBS offers retail, ecommerce and mobile merchant accounts for medical and recreational cannabis, CBD, hemp, Delta and ancillary products and services.
Here’s why CBS is the superior choice:
- Zero Flexibility: The problem with Dutchie is they have their own platform so you can't use other systems.
- Higher Costs: Fees for Dutchie Payments are often higher compared to industry standards.
- Lack of Transparency: Businesses frequently complain about lack of clear communication regarding fees and compliance.
Cannabis Business Solutions goes above and beyond for their cannabis clients. CBS offers retail, ecommerce and mobile merchant accounts for medical and recreational cannabis, CBD, hemp, Delta and ancillary products and services.
Here’s why CBS is the superior choice:
- Save Money - Best Rates: CBS offers the lowest and competitive cannabis transaction rates to maximize profit margins! No application fee or hidden costs.
- Fast Approvals: A dedicated team member will walk you through the steps. Many clients have been approved in 3 business days. CBS also offers equipment specials too.
- Compliance Expertise: CBS services are custom made for cannabis and keep up on the complex regulatory landscape.
- No Down-Time: Their solutions are fully compliant with national state and federal laws, ensuring uninterrupted service.
- Tailored Services: CBS offers customizable solutions, from retail point-of-sale systems to payment gateways and mobile trucks.
- POS Systems: CBS can integrate with most POS systems.
- Best Support: The CBS team provides 24/7 customer support including weekends.
- Great Communication: Unlike other processors, CBS answers the phone! They are committed to transparency, offering detailed breakdowns of fees and services upfront.
- 5-Star Reviews: Almost 10 years in business, dispensaries and retailers working with CBS report significant improvements in payment processing efficiency, cost savings, and customer satisfaction. For example, businesses that switched from Dutchie Payments to CBS experienced a 20% reduction in transaction fees, translating into thousands of dollars in annual savings.
While Square, CanPay, and Dutchie Payments may offer solutions for some cannabis businesses, they fall short in addressing the unique challenges of the industry. Cannabis Business Solutions emerges as the clear winner, combining compliance, cost-effectiveness, and specialized services to empower cannabis businesses to thrive.
If you’re ready to upgrade your payment processing, contact CBS—the trusted partner for cannabis payment solutions. For more info or a complimentary consultation, visit CBScannabis.com or Contact

At Cannabis Business Solutions, we have always supported cannabis and hemp businesses. From startups to MSOs. But my role goes beyond payments. I watch behavior. I look for patterns. I ask what is changing before it becomes obvious . Right now, we are in the middle of a major shift . And most people are not talking about it yet. For years, cannabis payments were built around what felt familiar. Debit cards. ATM-style transactions. It made sense. That is how customers were trained to pay. But behavior has changed . And it changed quickly. Today, customers reach for their phone first. Not their wallet. They scan. They tap. They send money instantly. This is now normal. This is Cardless (Pay-by-Bank via QR Scan) Used like Apple Pay, Venmo, Cash app.. . Globally, over 2.2 billion people use QR codes. In the U.S., 91% of Gen Z (ages 18–28) and Millennials (ages 29–44) use Cardless payment apps. Your next customer already expects this experience. They trust it. They understand it. They prefer it. This is the part dispensary owners need to focus on. Technology does not drive change. Behavior does. And behavior has already shifted. In cannabis, many stores still rely on systems tied to card networks. Systems that were never truly designed for this industry. They work. Until they don’t. That creates real risk: Compliance exposure Operational friction Poor customer experience At the same time, cashless ATM is still widely used and familiar and many dispensaries rely on it every day . At Cannabis Business Solutions, we support both. We keep your current debit solution running while helping you add more stable payment options alongside it . So the better question is: What will still work 12–24 months from now? What I see is clear. We are moving toward direct bank payments. A customer scans a QR code . Connects their bank. Pays the exact amount. Done. No rounding. No cash handling. No ATM maintenance or downtime. No dependency on card networks. No shutdowns. This is not a trend. It is the next standard. For Dispensary Owners: What To Do Next If you are running a dispensary, you do not need to change overnight. But you do need a plan. The smartest operators right now are: Continuing cashless ATM for today, while adding Cardless for long-term stability Training staff to guide customers to the better option Reducing reliance on unstable payment rails Let’s Map This For Your Store If you want to see how this would work inside your dispensary, we can walk you through it. No pressure. Just clarity. We will show you: How checkout would look for your team How customers actually use it What your risk reduction could look like How to receive revenue share on every transaction Schedule a quick strategy call with us. Or reach out directly to start the conversation. Because the shift is already happening. The future of payments is already here. The advantage goes to those who move first . Learn more at CBScannabis.com or connect with us to explore what this could look like for your dispensary.









