I missed it until now but two weeks ago VISA and other processors announced they would no longer accept payment for tobacco products. Many internet cigarette merchants have shut down operations as a result being forced to make sales by check only.
"Visa International, MasterCard International, American Express, eBay's PayPal service and others cut off the online tobacconists last month after being told by a coalition of states and representatives of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that virtually all such sales were illegal. Government officials said that merchants had not done enough to comply with age verification practices or to register sales with governments to ensure the collection of state taxes."
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