Cheap Cigarettes accepts card payments, PayPal, Revolut, and cryptocurrency across every product category in the store. Card and Revolut transactions are processed through a PCI-DSS compliant acquiring gateway with mandatory 3D Secure authentication. PayPal is available to returning customers with a completed order history. Cryptocurrency payments are accepted in Bitcoin, USDT, Ethereum, BNB, USDC, and additional networks confirmed at checkout. Every method is documented in this policy — including processing windows, refund reconciliation terms, and the buyer safeguards applied at each stage.

Access to this store, and to this policy, is restricted to persons who satisfy the minimum legal tobacco acquisition age in their jurisdiction. By proceeding, purchasers confirm they meet this requirement.

PCI-DSS compliant acquiring. 3D Secure on every card. Documented cryptocurrency processing.

Last reviewed: 7 Augusta 2026 · Framework maintained by: Payment Operations Team, KING SMOKE sp. z o.o. · Applies to: all orders across the three product categories.

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Element	Applicable specification
Accepted methods	Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal (returning customers), Revolut, cryptocurrency (BTC, USDT, ETH, BNB, USDC and additional networks)
Acquiring standard	PCI-DSS compliant gateway, TLS 1.3 transport encryption, tokenized card data
Card authentication	3D Secure 2.0 (EMV 3-D Secure) applied to every card transaction
PayPal eligibility	Returning customers with at least one prior fulfilled order
Cryptocurrency quote lock	15 minutes from checkout, held at the quoted USD rate
Card and Revolut processing	Cleared on 3D Secure approval; order enters processing within 48 hours
Cryptocurrency processing trigger	Order enters processing once the required network confirmations are reached
Refund destination	Original payment method used at checkout, per the Refund and Returns Policy
Refund processing window	Within 10 business days of claim approval
Support response window	Within 24 hours on operational days

Cross-border tobacco procurement operates under specific payment industry conditions. Some retailers in this vertical have been pushed onto alternative rails only, because certain networks decline the tobacco merchant category. Cheap Cigarettes operates under a full acquiring arrangement that permits standard card acceptance in addition to alternative rails and cryptocurrency.

This document sets out how each accepted method works, what happens between transaction clearance and dispatch, how refunds are reconciled back to the original method, and the safeguards applied to the purchaser at every stage. It should be read alongside the Shipping Policy and the Refund and Returns Policy.

Four categories of payment are supported at checkout. Method availability at the transaction stage may be adjusted based on the declared delivery jurisdiction; the applicable options are confirmed on the checkout screen.

Card Payments — Visa, Mastercard, and American Express

Card transactions are processed through a PCI-DSS compliant acquiring gateway. Every card transaction is subject to 3D Secure 2.0 authentication — the current EMV standard for cardholder verification — issued by the cardholder’s bank at the payment step. Transactions that do not clear 3D Secure verification cannot be completed.

• Card networks accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
• Authentication protocol: 3D Secure 2.0 (EMV 3-D Secure)
• Card data handling: tokenized at gateway, never stored on the store platform
• Transport encryption: TLS 1.3 end-to-end
• Currency: transactions are processed in USD; the issuing bank applies any foreign exchange conversion at the applicable interbank rate

The descriptor appearing on the cardholder’s statement is confirmed at the checkout stage and linked to the order reference. Where a card decline occurs at the 3D Secure stage or at the acquiring stage, the checkout displays the return code from the card network. Typical causes include insufficient available balance, an issuer-side merchant category restriction on the cardholder’s account, or a mismatch between the entered billing details and the address held by the issuing bank.

PayPal — Available to Returning Customers

PayPal acceptance is enabled for purchasers who have completed at least one prior order through this store. First-time purchasers are directed to the alternative accepted methods for the initial transaction; PayPal becomes selectable at checkout on subsequent orders once the initial order history is recorded on the account.

• Eligibility: at least one prior fulfilled order on the same account
• Currency: USD, with any conversion applied by PayPal at the applicable rate
• Buyer identification: the PayPal account must match the billing details on file
• Descriptor: standard PayPal transaction record, linked to the order reference

The returning-customer requirement is an operational measure applied to reduce first-order fraud exposure on the PayPal rail. It does not apply to card, Revolut, or cryptocurrency transactions, which are available to all purchasers from the first order.

Revolut — Direct Acquiring Integration

Revolut is accepted through a direct acquiring integration. Purchasers using a Revolut card, a Revolut business account, or the Revolut Pay checkout option can complete transactions in the same processing flow as standard card payments.

• Payment types: Revolut card, Revolut Pay, Revolut business account
• Authentication: standard Revolut in-app confirmation, or 3D Secure where the card is used at a card-input field
• Currency: USD at checkout; multi-currency Revolut accounts apply the internal FX conversion
• Descriptor: linked to the order reference in the Revolut transaction record

Cryptocurrency — BTC, USDT, ETH, BNB, USDC and Additional Networks

Cryptocurrency transactions are processed through a documented crypto payment provider supporting major networks. The following assets are currently accepted:

• Bitcoin (BTC) on the Bitcoin mainnet
• Tether (USDT) on ERC-20, TRC-20 and BEP-20 networks
• Ethereum (ETH) on the Ethereum mainnet
• BNB on the BNB Smart Chain
• USD Coin (USDC) on ERC-20 and additional supported networks
• Additional cryptocurrencies displayed at the checkout stage

Purchasers select the specific asset and network at checkout. The provider generates a unique deposit address per order and a USD-denominated quote, converted to the selected asset at the current market rate.

Cryptocurrency transactions involve parameters that differ from card and PayPal rails. The following provisions are stated in advance so the purchaser can complete the transaction without ambiguity.

Quote Lock and Rate Reconciliation

The USD price is fixed at the moment of order placement. At the payment stage, the cryptocurrency amount is calculated from the current market rate and held for a 15-minute quote lock window. Payments received and confirmed within the window are settled at the quoted rate. Payments arriving after the window expires are reconciled at the market rate at the time of network confirmation; the difference is either topped up by the purchaser (in the case of underpayment) or returned to the sending address (in the case of overpayment).

Network Confirmations Before Processing

The order enters the processing stage once the required number of network confirmations is reached. Confirmation requirements per network:

Network	Required confirmations
Bitcoin (BTC)	3 confirmations
Ethereum (ETH), ERC-20 assets	12 confirmations
BNB Smart Chain (BEP-20)	15 confirmations
Tron (TRC-20)	20 confirmations
Additional networks	Confirmation count displayed at checkout

Confirmation windows depend on network conditions at the time of transaction. During periods of network congestion, confirmation times may extend beyond the typical range. The status is visible in the order record throughout.

Underpayment and Overpayment Handling

Where the received amount is below the quoted crypto value at the time of confirmation, the checkout system issues a top-up instruction for the outstanding balance. Where the received amount exceeds the quoted value, the surplus is returned to the sending address, less the network fee applicable to the return transaction.

Network Selection Responsibility

Purchasers are responsible for selecting the correct network at the payment stage. Cryptocurrency sent to an address on a network different from the one selected at checkout may be unrecoverable through the payment provider. The checkout displays the exact network and the corresponding deposit address; this pairing must match the network selected in the sending wallet.

Card and Revolut transactions are handled through a payment gateway certified to PCI-DSS Level 1 — the highest tier of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Card details are tokenized at the gateway and are not stored on the Cheap Cigarettes platform. Card numbers, CVV values, and expiration data pass through the gateway environment only and are never persisted on the store side.

3D Secure 2.0 authentication is applied to every card transaction. The 3D Secure step involves the card issuer directly and is the current industry standard for cardholder-not-present verification.

PayPal transactions are secured through PayPal’s own authentication flow, which includes the buyer’s PayPal account credentials and any two-factor authentication configured on the account.

Cryptocurrency transactions are processed on public blockchains and are subject to the security properties of the network selected. The payment provider generates unique deposit addresses per order to prevent transaction misattribution.

Transport-layer encryption across the store uses TLS 1.3. The checkout page is served over HTTPS with HSTS enforced.

Once payment clears and age verification is confirmed, the order enters the processing stage described in the Shipping Policy.

• Card and Revolut: cleared on 3D Secure approval; the order enters processing within 48 hours
• PayPal: cleared on PayPal confirmation; the order enters processing within 48 hours
• Cryptocurrency: the order enters processing once the required network confirmations are reached; the typical window from payment initiation to confirmation is 15 to 90 minutes depending on the selected network

Orders placed on weekends or public holidays enter processing on the next operational day. The tracking identifier is issued at dispatch and transmitted to the purchaser’s registered contact address.

Where a transaction does not clear within the applicable window, the order is placed in review status. The following outcomes apply:

• Card 3D Secure decline: the order can be retried with an alternative card or an alternative method; no funds are captured on a declined authentication
• Card acquirer decline: same as above; no funds are captured
• PayPal cancellation before confirmation: no funds are captured
• Cryptocurrency underpayment: a top-up instruction is issued to the purchaser; the order remains open for 48 hours pending completion, then is cancelled with any received funds returned to the sending address
• Cryptocurrency payment not initiated within 24 hours of order placement: the order is cancelled and the quote lock expires
• Any authorised but not fully cleared transaction after 7 days: the order is cancelled and any pending authorisation is released to the payment method

Purchasers are notified at each status change through the registered contact address.

Refunds are returned to the original payment method used at checkout, in accordance with the Refund and Returns Policy. Reconciliation by method:

Card Refunds

Refunds are returned to the same card used at checkout via the acquiring gateway. Processing window: within 10 business days of claim approval. Time to appearance on the cardholder’s statement depends on the issuing bank and the applicable card scheme, typically within a further 3 to 10 business days.

PayPal Refunds

Refunds are returned to the PayPal account used at checkout. Processing window: within 10 business days of claim approval. Funds typically appear in the recipient PayPal balance within 1 business day of processing.

Revolut Refunds

Refunds are returned through the Revolut acquiring rail to the Revolut account or card used at checkout. Processing window: within 10 business days of claim approval. Funds typically appear in the recipient Revolut account within 1 to 3 business days of processing.

Cryptocurrency Refunds

Refunds on cryptocurrency transactions are returned to the wallet address specified by the purchaser at the refund election stage. Refund amounts are denominated in USD and converted to the selected asset at the market rate on the refund date. Processing window: within 10 business days of claim approval, less the network fee applicable to the outgoing transaction.

Because cryptocurrency prices fluctuate between the date of order placement and the date of refund, the USD-denominated value of the refund is preserved rather than the original asset amount. Purchasers who require refund in a specific asset different from the original payment can nominate it at the refund election stage, subject to availability with the payment provider.

Transaction-stage measures applied to protect the purchaser:

• Mandatory 3D Secure 2.0 on every card transaction — reduces cardholder-not-present fraud exposure
• Tokenization of card data at the acquiring gateway — card numbers are never held on the store
• Address verification (AVS) against issuer records on card transactions
• PayPal returning-customer restriction — reduces first-order fraud exposure on the PayPal rail
• Unique cryptocurrency deposit address per order — prevents cross-order misattribution
• Order-level transaction logging — every remittance is linked to a specific order reference
• Sanctions screening on payment source data as required under applicable financial regulations

Post-dispatch buyer protection is applied through the Refund and Returns Policy, which sets out the 45-day refund guarantee and the specific delivery-stage scenarios that qualify for refund or reshipment.

Placement of an order and completion of the transaction constitutes acceptance of the following responsibilities:

• Provision of accurate cardholder or account details matching the records held by the issuing bank or provider
• Selection of the correct cryptocurrency network at the payment stage
• Sending of the exact quoted cryptocurrency amount within the 15-minute quote lock window
• Retention of the transaction reference number issued at payment confirmation
• Notification to Payment Support of any payment-stage anomaly through the contact address provided below

Errors identified before dispatch confirmation can be corrected by contacting Payment Support directly; errors identified after dispatch are handled through the Refund Policy claim framework.

Access to, and acquisition of, tobacco products through this commercial platform is restricted to persons who satisfy the minimum legal tobacco acquisition age applicable in their jurisdiction of residence. The minimum age threshold enforced on this platform is 21 years. Where applicable local legislation establishes a higher minimum age threshold, that higher standard governs.

Mandatory age verification is applied at the transaction stage as a condition of purchase completion across all three product categories. No transaction may be completed in the absence of satisfaction of the applicable age verification requirement.

Tobacco products across all categories are regulated goods subject to import controls in every jurisdiction served. Purchasers bear sole legal responsibility for confirming that the ordered product format is lawfully importable at the declared destination, that the order quantity does not exceed the applicable personal import allowance, and that all customs duties, excise taxes and import levies payable upon receipt are remitted in compliance with local obligations. This platform does not facilitate customs evasion and does not provide advisory services on the avoidance of lawful declaration requirements.

All tobacco products, including those available through this platform, carry significant documented health risks. Consumption of tobacco products has been causally linked to severe preventable disease. No claim of reduced risk, modified risk or health benefit is made by this platform in respect of any product listed in this catalog.

Authoritative public health references:

• World Health Organization — Tobacco: Fact Sheet
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Tobacco Products Regulatory Overview

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For payment-stage queries, decline codes, cryptocurrency payment status, or refund reconciliation:

• Email: support@cheap-cigarettes.org
• Standard response window: within 24 hours on operational days

The order reference and, where applicable, the transaction reference or blockchain transaction ID should be included in the initial message. This allows the Payment Support team to open the transaction record directly and move to resolution without an additional exchange.

This policy may be updated to reflect operational changes, updates to payment provider terms, or amendments to applicable regulations. Material changes are dated at the top of this page under “Last reviewed.” Purchasers are directed to consult this page at the time of order placement.