What are SARMs?
Named Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, commonly referred to as SARMs, are a synthetic drug that acts in a similar way to steroids. By helping to change your DNA to speed up the body’s ability to grow muscle, SARMs have been compared to anabolic steroids. Unlike the steroids drugs familiar to most people, SARMs have the ability to target muscles and avoid impacting other parts of the body.
What are Peptides?
A peptide is an amino acid compound that is a smaller version of a protein. Peptides were designed for users to designate the intended results. Used in a number of different health and cosmetic products for their anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. Commonly peptides are used in skin care products to repair collagen, as a weight-loss aid and as a muscle-building supplement to improve recovery times.
Peptides Merchant Account Service Options
SARMS and Peptides are legal in the United States to sell and possess. The one caveat is that they are not available for human consumption. This has made it difficult for many businesses to find a peptides merchant services company willing to accept transactions knowing the fine line that exists in the legal system. These problems have not slowed the demand for peptides and consumers continue to want them, making online sales extremely difficult.
As the availability of credit card processing for merchants in the Peptides industry has all but dried up, merchants have reached out for alternative payment methods. One of the most widely used methods of SARMs payment processing has been through electronic check. Unlike most larger banks that work with the credit card companies, e check processing is done on a smaller level. The e-check industry continues to process transactions for the SARMS and peptides industries by following local government regulations.
How Credit Card Processing works
Transactions that are payment card-based, whether debit or credit, are handled through the same process for both storefront and online sales. These transactions will use the same financial services companies when attempting to authorize a customer transaction. The organizations involved in approving a peptides credit card processing transaction include:
- Merchant Acquirer: The acquiring bank maintains the relationship between the merchant and the payment card association. Working with or as the payment processor, the acquirer handles underwriting and account management for the merchants. Acquirers also ensure that merchants are fully compliant with products sold and services offered.
- Card Issuer: On the consumer side, the card issuer maintains the relationship with the cardholder. The card issuing bank manages the customer’s account and provides account security to prevent fraud or other problems. The card issuer receives merchant requests for payment authorizations and decides whether to approve or decline. The issuer also ensures that payments are sent to the merchant once the transaction has finalized.
- Payment Card Network: The most recognizable names in the payment card industry are the members of the card networks. Companies such as Visa and MasterCard have built these vast financial networks into some of the largest in the world. Providing security and simple functionality has been the driving force behind the growth of these networks. As customers have become more and more comfortable with using payment cards, the industry is in a constant growth curve.
- Terminal: The terminal can either be a physical machine in the merchant’s storefront or an online application integrated into a merchant’s website. Both types of terminals offer security for both the merchant and cardholder alike. Online terminals, known as a virtual terminal, are part of a payment gateway and allow merchants to manually log in to process transactions.
- Shopping Cart: Merchants operating an e-commerce store will need to install a shopping cart on their website to handle customer orders. Through the shopping cart, customers can enter their payment card information and have it securely sent to their card issuer for approval. Working with one of the larger shopping cart programs will make the integration process much easier for merchants when looking for a merchant account.
Customers making a purchase will either swipe their card at the business storefront or enter the card information into the shopping cart of the merchant’s website. Card account information for the payment authorization will be sent from the terminal location to the acquiring bank for entry into the payment card network. All information about the transaction is encrypted between the customer’s web browser, the payment gateway and the merchant acquirer.
At the payment card network, the transaction information is deciphered so the card brand and card issuing bank can be determined. The authorization request is sent to the appropriate bank where security and financial checks are performed to verify the validity of the transaction. If there are no concerns and the account has the available credit, an approval response will be sent back to the merchant. In the same manner, declined authorizations will be sent back to the business location, informing both the merchant and consumer.
SARMs Merchant Account Requirements
Merchants that are preparing to apply for peptides credit card processing services will need to provide various supporting documents. Some of the most common documents required by payment processors and merchant acquirers include:
- Completed Application
- Copy of ID
- Voided Check
- Bank Statements
- Previous Processing Statements (if available)
The most important piece of the peptides payment processing application process is having a completed application for the underwriters to review. Full information about the business will allow underwriting teams the ability to vet the merchant and run background checks on both the applicant and the business.
Underwriting teams and merchant services agents will need IDs of the applicants to verify their identification. Since SARMs credit card processing services operate similarly to a credit agreement, fees are assessed and collected by the credit card networks on a monthly basis. This is a reason why acquirers want to know the full identity and financial history of a merchant.
Providing a voided check from the merchant’s settlement bank account is an important supporting document to ensure that payments are properly sent to the merchant. Incorrect information provided on the application can create problems for the acquirer and card issuer if payments are returned because the account does not exist.
Businesses that are not startups will normally need to provide copies of their most recent bank statements. Most merchant account underwriters will want to see at minimum the last 3 months, while providing the last 6 months will help give a complete view of the company’s financial record. Underwriters do not want to see a history of overdrawn transactions or bounced checks, signs that the business does not have the proper reserves to cover monthly fees and any potential refunds.
Merchants with an existing merchant account will need to show underwriters the most recent history. Generally, the last 3 months is required, but providing the last 6 will help ensure that the accounts are approved in a streamlined manner. Underwriters will want to verify that there are no problems with the merchant, specifically excessive refunds or chargebacks.
Benefits of a Merchant Account
Though the availability of credit card processing services is not available for SARMs or Peptides, other forms of payment have taken over for the Peptides and SARMs industries. Occasionally credit card processing solutions do present themselves, but they are not reliable. This is why accepting echeck has emerged as the best alternative.
Without the risk of having accounts closed by either the payment processors or card payment networks, echeck will allow merchants to operate without concerns. Echecks also have much lower pricing than credit card merchant accounts, reducing operational costs for businesses while providing comparable services.
Start your Supplements Merchant Account Services today!
Contact one of our Peptides payment processing professionals for more information about the available services for your business. While SARMs merchant processing can be hard to find from time to time, the team at Allied Payments has relationships to help almost any business accept payment online. Contact us today to start accepting payments online.