Alcohol Payment Processing
Merchant Accounts for Alcohol Retailers & Brands
Reliable payment processing for wineries, distilleries, breweries, online alcohol retailers, and alcohol delivery services.
Specialty Underwriting
Our underwriting team works with wineries, distilleries, online liquor stores, and alcohol delivery services.
Multi-Currency
Accept payments in 135+ currencies, ideal for wine importers, craft spirits exporters, and international alcohol retail.
Fast Approvals
Most alcohol merchants receive a decision within 24 to 72 hours of submitting a complete application.
See How Your Alcohol Processing Rates Compare
Alcohol merchants often pay higher rates due to limited provider options. Enter your volume to see what we can offer.
- Wine club and subscription billing built in
- Age verification workflow compatible
- Fast approvals for licensed alcohol businesses
How much are you overpaying?
Enter your numbers from last month's processing statement.
All figures shown are estimates only and may be subject to change based on application review, business model, risk factors, and underwriting assessments. This tool does not constitute a commitment, guarantee, or offer of specific terms.
Same-day decisions · No application fee · Dedicated account manager
Processing Built for Alcohol Retail
Challenges Alcohol Merchants Face
Blanket Category Rejections
Many national processors decline alcohol accounts by policy, regardless of licensing, state compliance, or sales volume.
Cross-State Shipping Complexity
Direct-to-consumer alcohol shipping laws vary by state and create compliance complexity that standard processors do not understand.
Subscription Club Chargebacks
Wine and spirits club subscriptions generate chargebacks when billing expectations are not managed carefully. Without proactive tooling, ratios climb.
Age Verification Requirements
Online alcohol sales require age verification at checkout and delivery. Processors who do not understand the model treat this as unmanageable risk.
Built for Alcohol Commerce
Alcohol Underwriting
Specialist underwriting for wineries, distilleries, breweries, online retailers, and alcohol delivery services.
Subscription Club Billing
Wine and spirits club subscriptions, monthly allocations, and auto-ship programs handled through our gateway's recurring engine.
Chargeback Alert Integration
Ethoca and Verifi alerts catch incoming disputes before they post, protecting revenue on subscription and retail orders.
Age Verification Compatibility
Gateway configurations compatible with standard age verification and signature-at-delivery workflows for compliant alcohol retail.
Multi-Currency Acquiring
Accept 135+ currencies for international wine import and export, cross-border spirits retail, and global wine club memberships.
Dedicated Account Manager
A named account manager experienced with alcohol retail payment processing, available around the clock.
Corepay By the Numbers
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135+ Currencies Supported
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24-72h Typical Approval Window
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98% Uptime SLA
Processing Payments in 30+ Countries
United States
50 statesFull domestic processing with next-day funding and dedicated account management.
European Union
27 member statesPSD2 and SCA compliant processing across all EU member states with multi-currency settlement.
United Kingdom
England, Scotland, Wales, NIFCA-regulated payment processing with GBP settlement and local acquiring.
Australia
All territoriesAPRA-compliant processing with AUD settlement and Asia-Pacific connectivity.
Selling alcohol online is challenging. We offer tailored payment processing for alcohol businesses, whether you are a startup launching a line of spirits or an established retailer expanding online. We handle both ecommerce and retail processing.
Alcohol Businesses We Serve
We provide processing for whiskey, wine, tequila, beer, brandy, bourbon, scotch, and retail liquor stores. We can service any company that follows all applicable state restrictions.
Applying for Your Alcohol Merchant Account
We can typically pre-approve your account within 48 to 72 hours. The more information you provide about your products and business history, the faster we can move, and the better rates we can offer. You will need:
- Three to six months of processing history
- Voided check
- Principal’s driver’s license
- Articles of incorporation
- Proof of operating address
- Company EIN document
- Business plan (optional)
Why Alcohol Businesses Are High-Risk
Alcohol businesses are classified as high-risk for several reasons. Legality varies by state: you can buy alcohol online in 48 out of 50 states, with restrictions on type and quantity. Age verification is a concern, since the legal age is 21. Fraud is an issue because underage consumers may use a parent’s credit card. And chargebacks are the primary reason merchants in this space get into trouble, as they can signal compliance issues to banks and processors.
Subscription billing is also common in the alcohol industry, which adds additional risk. A rolling reserve is typically required for subscription-based alcohol businesses.
Alcohol MCC Code
The merchant category code for alcohol is MCC 5318, used for all companies selling alcoholic products. For a full breakdown of fees, see our guide to high-risk credit card processing fees.
How We Underwrite
All of our merchant accounts are underwritten at the time of application. We do this so both sides know we are working with a legitimate business from day one. This approach avoids the surprise freezes and terminations that happen with processors who skip upfront underwriting.
Why Choose Corepay
We specialize in high-risk merchant accounts and understand what alcohol merchants need. We operate with full transparency and want to see our merchants grow to their full potential.
- Competitive rates
- Approvals within 24 to 72 hours
- High-volume processing
- Multi-currency support
- PCI Level 1 secure gateway
- Mobile payment acceptance
- Waived application, setup, and annual fees
- 24/7 customer service
