Dutchie, an Oregon-based point of sale platform for cannabis, announced a new payment system today – one that will permit customers to use credit or debit cards for both online purchases and in-store checkouts.
The payment system promises to cut down on a multitude of issues that accompany the current cash model used by dispensaries across the country.
Despite being legal in some capacity in 37 states, cannabis is still not legal on the federal level.
This prevents dispensaries from being able to accept any forms of payment other than cash, which presents both logistical and safety issues for customers and employees alike.
Robberies of these cash-only enterprises are common, and sometimes fatal; in Washington, an employee was shot and killed during a robbery at World of Weed.
Customers are similarly at an increased risk of being targeted by thieves while at dispensaries. As such, they’re less likely to have enough cash on hand to make large bulk orders the way they might with a more secure payment option, like a credit card.
From a practical angle, cash transactions also prove to be a hindrance for customers, both potentially adding to the amount of time a trip to the local dispensary takes and often limiting the amount they feel comfortable purchasing at one time. ATM fees add yet another obstacle to customers’ buying experience.
Dutchie Pay aims to resolve these issues by allowing customers to pay for their dispensary orders with a credit or debit card. According to Forbes, this is legal because the payment uses a “closed-loop automatic clearing house” transfer directly between the bank and the dispensary without using any federal intermediaries.
Customers using Dutchie Pay will be able to pay for online orders as well as in-store purchases. Joshua Kahn, the owner of Takoma Wellness Center, says that this option has already increased their profits. “Dutchie Pay has improved their overall shopping experience while resulting in higher basket sizes and customer loyalty,” he affirms.
Dutchie Pay is currently available nationwide, but will likely take some time for dispensaries to integrate. Customers should be able to begin using Dutchie Pay as soon as dispensary owners implement the system.
