Payment Restrictions

Dear Customers,

We would like to inform you about the reasons why our store cannot accept online payments for goods. Unfortunately, global payment system censorship prevents payment gateways or banks from accepting payments for items such as bongs or cannabis seeds. The issue primarily concerns bongs — even though they are entirely legal and are classified as hookahs or glass pipes, they are still considered "high-risk" products, which is a result of unlawful censorship by payment systems.

Reasons and Legal Grounds

There are many rules and laws globally that regulate the trade of cannabis-related products. For example, according to the guidelines of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) and the requirements of international payment systems such as Visa and MasterCard, transactions related to cannabis and related goods are considered high-risk and are subject to special scrutiny.

However, it is essential to understand that this issue is not solely about cannabis seeds. Bongs, which make up a significant portion of our product range, are completely legal. Nevertheless, payment systems, acting under the influence of outdated stereotypes, continue to block transactions related to their sale, which is effectively unlawful censorship. We face these barriers even though bongs are legally equivalent to hookahs or glass pipes.

In our efforts to implement online payments, we reached out to our partner bank, TBC Bank, but unfortunately, they rejected our request. Additionally, we contacted payment gateways operating in Georgia, such as Payze.io, but were met with refusal.

We even attempted to collaborate with international services, but under Georgian law, we can only accept payments in Georgian Lari. These regulations hinder many payment gateways and banks from processing transactions related to our product range. As a result, we are forced to offer alternative payment methods to ensure you can access our products.

Why Do Some Competitors Offer Online Payments?

Many of our competitors operating in Georgia are grow shops. Most of these companies operate as home or gardening supply stores, with smoking accessories and seeds as an additional category likely added after passing initial payment system or bank checks.

True cannabis culture is often subject to ostracism and restrictions. Our limitations arise because we represent a true 420 community, fully dedicated to this culture and its values.

Alternative Payment Methods

We offer several alternative payment methods for your convenience. You can find a detailed list of all available payment and delivery options on our Payment and Delivery page.

Historical Context

Headshop e-commerce stores worldwide often face similar restrictions and challenges. The nature of the products sold, such as bongs and smoking accessories, leads to strict regulations and monitoring by financial institutions. These restrictions are the result of payment system censorship, which pressures the industry despite the complete legality of many products.