Peach Payments is the most consistently recommended payment gateway for CBD merchants in South Africa. While other processors decline CBD applications or terminate accounts without warning, Peach Payments has a documented track record of approving and retaining compliant CBD merchant accounts. This guide covers exactly how to apply, what documentation you need, what the approval process looks like, and how to set up Peach Payments on your Shopify or WooCommerce store.

Why Peach Payments for CBD in South Africa

Peach Payments understands that SAHPRA-compliant CBD (Schedule 0) is a legal consumer product in South Africa. Their merchant risk team reviews CBD applications on the merits of the product's compliance — not on a blanket category exclusion. This is meaningfully different from processors like Shopify Payments (not available in SA) or some international gateways that apply global cannabis policies regardless of local legal status.

Peach Payments supports card payments (Visa and Mastercard), EFT, and instant EFT. They offer native Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, making them the most practical full- stack payment solution for SA CBD e-commerce.

What You Need Before Applying

Prepare these documents before you start your Peach Payments application. Incomplete applications significantly slow the approval process.

• Certificate of Analysis (COA) — most critical. From an accredited laboratory, confirming that your product contains 20mg or less of CBD per recommended daily dose and 0.0075% or less THC. The COA must be current (ideally for your current production batch) and from a SANAS-accredited lab if possible. This document is the foundation of your application — do not apply without it.
• SAHPRA scheduling documentation. Evidence that your products fall under Schedule 0. This may be a formal SAHPRA scheduling opinion letter, a complementary medicines registration, or documented evidence of compliance with the Schedule 0 thresholds.
• Company registration documents. CIPC registration certificate and company registration number. If you are applying as a sole proprietor, your personal ID and business trade name registration.
• Bank account details. The SA business bank account into which Peach Payments will disburse settlements. The account must be in the business name.
• Director ID documents. South African ID or passport for all directors of the applying entity.
• Business bank statement. 3 months of business bank statements may be required as part of the risk assessment.
• Website URL. Your live e-commerce website. Peach Payments will review your site as part of the application process — it must have a privacy policy, terms and conditions, age verification, and compliant product claims before you apply.

Getting Your Website Application-Ready

Peach Payments will review your website as part of their merchant risk assessment. A non-compliant website will delay or prevent approval. Before you apply, ensure:

• Age verification is implemented (a pop-up or dedicated age gate before accessing the store)
• Your privacy policy is live and accessible in the footer
• Your terms and conditions are live and accurate
• Product pages do not make unsubstantiated medical claims
• Your COA is accessible (either on product pages or on a dedicated lab results page)
• Your refund and returns policy is clearly stated
• Your contact information is visible and accurate

The Application Process: What to Expect

The Peach Payments merchant application process for CBD brands typically follows this sequence:

1. Initial application submission. Complete the Peach Payments merchant application form on their website. In the business description field, clearly state that you sell SAHPRA-compliant Schedule 0 CBD products and include your COA in the supporting documents upload.
2. Risk team review (2–5 business days). Peach Payments' risk team reviews your application, documentation, and website. This is where CBD applications are evaluated. Prompt responses to any questions they raise will speed this stage.
3. Approval and integration credentials (1–2 business days). Once approved, you receive your merchant ID, secret key, and integration documentation. These are used to set up the Peach Payments plugin on your Shopify or WooCommerce store.
4. Go-live testing. Before taking live payments, conduct a test transaction to confirm the integration is working correctly. Most common issue: incorrect currency configuration (ensure ZAR is set as the transaction currency).

Total timeline from application submission to live payments: typically 5–10 business days for a well-prepared application. Applications with incomplete documentation or a non-compliant website take significantly longer.

Integrating Peach Payments with Shopify

Peach Payments provides a native Shopify integration through their official Shopify app. Installation is straightforward:

1. Install the Peach Payments app from the Shopify App Store
2. Enter your Peach Payments merchant credentials (provided after approval)
3. Configure accepted payment methods (card, EFT, instant EFT)
4. Set your transaction currency to ZAR
5. Run a test transaction to confirm successful integration
6. Activate and set as your primary payment gateway

For WooCommerce, Peach Payments provides a dedicated plugin available through the Peach Payments developer portal. The configuration process is similar to the Shopify integration. See our full guide to building a compliant CBD Shopify store.

Maintaining Your Peach Payments Account

A Peach Payments account approval is not permanent. Like all payment gateways, Peach Payments monitors merchant accounts for risk signals. To maintain your account:

• Keep chargeback rates below 1% — high chargebacks are the primary trigger for account review
• Update your COA with each new production batch and keep documentation current
• Notify Peach Payments if you add significant new product lines or change your product formulation
• Maintain a backup payment option (Ozow instant EFT, manual EFT) in case of any disruption
• Keep your website content compliant — Peach Payments can conduct periodic site reviews