Why your credit card gets declined
Every page in our Missouri dispensary guide comes back to one fact. Missouri made cannabis legal, Washington didn't. Nothing in the constitution or the state's rules picks a payment method, but banks and payment networks answer to federal law, so most won't touch a cannabis sale.
The cashless ATM is the common fix. The store runs your debit like an ATM withdrawal, rounds up, and hands back the difference. It works, it just costs a couple of dollars. In the store, you pay before the product leaves.
Will this work at the register?
Tap how you want to pay. No state rule picks a payment method, so this is store practice. Call ahead if you're counting on one.
WorksCash
Works at basically every store. Stores keep little cash on the sales floor and post a sign saying so.
WorksDebit card
Works at most stores, usually as a cashless ATM charge that rounds up and hands back change, plus a small fee.
WorksIn-store ATM
Common. Expect an ATM fee on top of anything your own bank charges, so pull enough the first time.
SometimesCredit card
Don't count on it. No state rule bans credit, but the big payment networks avoid federally illegal sales, so few stores run it.
Won't workApple Pay, Google Pay
Usually not. Phone wallets ride the same payment networks, so the same problem applies.
WorksDispensary gift card
Allowed by the state. Ask whether your store sells them.
WorksPaying the driver
Allowed. Delivery can be paid any time up to the hand-off, and a prepaid order gets refunded if the delivery falls through.
- Works
- Sometimes
- Won't work
