A coalition of 13 U.S. attorneys general has called on major credit card companies to stop facilitating sales of illegal vaping products through their payment networks. The group warned that unauthorized e-cigarettes, largely manufactured in China, now account for more than 80% of the U.S. vape market, generating over $11 billion in annual sales despite violating federal and state laws.
The officials are asking Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover to identify and remove merchants selling illicit products and to increase transparency on enforcement actions. The move draws on past cooperation between regulators and payment processors to curb illegal online cigarette sales, as states look to disrupt distribution channels for unauthorized vaping products.