Selling CBD, vape, or adult products on Shopify in the UK? You're entering a high-risk market—where compliance isn’t just recommended, it’s essential. This guide will walk you through exactly how to build a Shopify store that’s legal, secure, and set up to accept payments without the risk of sudden freezes or account closures.
What Makes a Shopify Store High Risk?
Shopify categorizes certain product categories as high-risk based on legal ambiguity, regulatory scrutiny, or card network sensitivity. High-risk products include:
Note: “High-risk” doesn’t mean illegal—it means you’ll need to meet higher standards of compliance and choose the right tech stack.
- CBD and hemp-derived products
- Vape and nicotine accessories
- Adult products
- Supplements making health or performance claims
Note: “High-risk” doesn’t mean illegal—it means you’ll need to meet higher standards of compliance and choose the right tech stack.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Compliant Shopify Store
Step 1: Register Your UK Business
Register with Companies House and list a valid UK business address. This helps build trust and is essential for payment approval.
Step 2: Use a Professional Theme & Compliant Copy
Design and content must meet compliance standards. Avoid:
Step 3: Add Age Verification Tools
For age-restricted products (e.g., vape or adult):
Step 4: Publish Legal Pages (Tailored to UK Law)
Make sure your:
Step 5: Choose the Right Payment Gateway
Avoid Shopify Payments or PayPal—they don’t support high-risk products like CBD, vape, or adult items.
Register with Companies House and list a valid UK business address. This helps build trust and is essential for payment approval.
Step 2: Use a Professional Theme & Compliant Copy
Design and content must meet compliance standards. Avoid:
- Health claims like “cures anxiety” or “heals pain”
- Overly sexualised imagery
- Misleading terms like “miracle” or “100% guaranteed”
Step 3: Add Age Verification Tools
For age-restricted products (e.g., vape or adult):
- Use Shopify apps like Age Check or ShopAge
- Set up verification at checkout and product pages
Step 4: Publish Legal Pages (Tailored to UK Law)
Make sure your:
- Terms & Conditions
- Privacy Policy
- Refund Policy
- Shipping Policy
- are easy to find and reflect UK consumer protection laws.
Step 5: Choose the Right Payment Gateway
Avoid Shopify Payments or PayPal—they don’t support high-risk products like CBD, vape, or adult items.
- Instead, choose a specialist high-risk payment provider like Wall ID, which is FCA-regulated and designed for UK compliance.
Why Wall ID Is the Best Option for High-Risk Shopify Stores
While traditional merchant accounts and mainstream payment processors can introduce risk, cost, and complexity, Wall ID is purpose-built to support regulated UK ecommerce. It's the only gateway designed from the ground up to help Shopify stores selling CBD, vape, or adult products stay compliant and operational.
Why merchants choose Wall ID:
Wall ID eliminates the need for acquirers, complex underwriting, or high-risk merchant contracts—so you can go live faster and stay live longer.
Why merchants choose Wall ID:
- FCA-regulated with full UK compliance
- No rolling reserves, application delays, or freeze risks
- Zero chargebacks and instant payouts
- Fully compatible with Shopify checkout
- Optional built-in age verification
Wall ID eliminates the need for acquirers, complex underwriting, or high-risk merchant contracts—so you can go live faster and stay live longer.
Comparison Table: Shopify Payment Gateway Options
Speakable
Building a high-risk Shopify store in the UK? From CBD and vape to adult products, the key is choosing a payment provider that won’t flag or freeze your account. Wall ID helps you go live fast—without chargebacks, contract delays, or card bans.- Install Pay by Bank on Shopify.
