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Tag: Nicotine Pouches

  • Nicotine Pouch Payments Get New Avenue

    Nicotine Pouch Payments Get New Avenue

    Tower Payments announced the launch of a dedicated payment gateway and merchant account service aimed at nicotine pouch e-commerce businesses that have lost card processing abilities after being declined by other providers. According to Tower Payments, companies such as Stripe, Square, banks, and PayPal classify nicotine pouches as high risk under acceptable-use rules, disrupting cash flow for compliant merchants. This new offering is designed to restore stable credit card acceptance by using nicotine-friendly underwriting and clear pricing, addressing a common industry problem of sudden account closures and frozen deposits.

    Tower Payments’ service uses underwriting teams familiar with both synthetic and tobacco-derived nicotine and assists merchants with required Visa and Mastercard registrations. The gateway integrates with platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, ClickFunnels, and others, while preserving existing checkout flows.

    Tower Payments adds that the service includes fraud tools, subscription support, PCI DSS compliance, and upfront pricing with no hidden fees. Founder Nyah Penney said the company focuses on prescreening and one-on-one support to reduce delays and avoid held funds, positioning the service as a practical processing option for nicotine pouch retailers heading into 2026.

  • UK Government Acknowledges Nicotine Pouches as Harm Reduction Tool

    UK Government Acknowledges Nicotine Pouches as Harm Reduction Tool

    The UK government confirmed that nicotine pouches are likely lower-risk alternatives to smoking, recognizing them as a distinct product category under the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill. In response to campaigners advocating for a 20 mg nicotine strength cap, officials emphasized that any future regulations will be evidence-based and proportionate, aiming to protect public health while avoiding rules that could push adults back to smoking. Sales to under-18s will remain illegal, and the Department of Health and Social Care highlighted concerns about youth uptake, particularly among young men.

    Campaign groups, including 20isPlenty, We Vape, and Considerate Pouchers, welcomed the acknowledgment, noting that government recognition of nicotine pouches’ lower risk and separate status from cigarettes marks a major concession. Officials also confirmed that upcoming regulations on flavors, ingredients, packaging, and display will be subject to consultation, allowing stakeholders to advocate for measures that preserve adult access while limiting youth appeal.

    Further research into nicotine products and vaping has been commissioned, including a “living evidence map” by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to inform policy development. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently awaiting report stage and third reading in the House of Lords, will also implement the government’s “smoke-free generation” plan, banning tobacco sales for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, starting in 2027.

  • Nicokick and Northerner Increase Commitment to Responsible Retailing

    Nicokick and Northerner said they are strengthening their commitment to responsible and compliant retailing for adult consumers aged 21 and over, citing clearer regulatory direction from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The companies said their focus is on consumer safety, preventing youth access, and maintaining transparency as regulatory oversight of the category increases. Both retailers enforce a nationwide minimum purchase age of 21 and require age and identity verification through third-party provider Veratad, with orders denied or canceled if verification cannot be completed. Nicokick and Northerner said they also limit sales to states where online nicotine pouch sales are permitted and comply with state-specific requirements, including flavor rules. Products sold on their platforms must show evidence of FDA submissions and undergo third-party quality testing.

    “With enforcement ramping up and scrutiny intensifying, responsible retailing isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the backbone of credibility, consumer protection, and the viability of the category’s future,” said Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president for regulatory affairs with Haypp Group (parent company of Nicokick and Northerner). “Our ambition is for Nicokick and Northerner to continue standing as paragons of responsibility in the online nicotine retail space.”

    Additional safeguards include sourcing products directly from manufacturers, applying order and SKU limits, using fraud-detection systems, and restricting marketing and promotions to adult audiences. The companies said educational resources and product information are provided to support informed use, positioning responsible retailing as central to the long-term viability of the nicotine pouch category.

  • Pakistan’s Pouch Market Reshaping Tobacco Landscape

    With a smoking rate of 19.5% and high instances of smoking-related illnesses, Pakistan is beginning to embrace the shift to lower-risk alternative products, including a quickly expanding nicotine pouch market that is not only good news for health advocates but is creating business opportunities as well.

    Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited recently began local production of ZYN at its Sahiwal facility, following British American Tobacco’s early entrance with Velo in 2019, solidifying Pakistan as a key growth market for modern oral nicotine products. Industry momentum is being driven by strong demand from adult tobacco users seeking alternatives to cigarettes and traditional oral products such as paan, naswar, and gutka. A recent LMIC case study cited Pakistan as having the world’s largest consumer base for nicotine pouches, noting toxicant levels far lower than in conventional oral tobacco.

    Local production is boosting jobs, tax revenue, and regulatory oversight, but authorities are expected to weigh stricter age controls, product standards, and monitoring as the category scales.

  • Swedish Pouch Manufacturer Opening U.S. Facility

    Swedish Pouch Manufacturer Opening U.S. Facility

    Swedish pouch manufacturer WiJo Pouches NA announced that is has been approved to establish its first U.S. manufacturing site, investing $13.5 million in Lexington County, South Carolina. WiJo Pouches North America, Inc. is expected to add 170 new jobs when it becomes operational by March 2026. The company provides contract manufacturing for nicotine, caffeine, and functional pouches.

    Lexington County Council and the South Carolina Department of Commerce supported the project, which passed council approval unanimously and faced no public opposition.

    Lexington County officials said the project strengthens the region’s international business profile, following other recent manufacturing investments from Cardiff Products, AllTape Adhesive, and Techo-Bloc, all currently under construction.

  • SGF Asks for Guidance on Nicotine Pouches

    SGF Asks for Guidance on Nicotine Pouches

    The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) reiterated its members’ commitment to responsible retailing in a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, following reports of illegal high-strength nicotine pouches circulating in the UK. As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill progresses through Westminster, SGF said retailers still have no official guidance on best practices for selling nicotine pouches, despite expected age-restriction measures. The group warned that it is often unclear which products entering the UK supply chain meet appropriate quality standards.

    SGF chief executive Pete Cheema said industry and government should work together to develop “clear, standardized guidance” on pouch sales and promotion, stressing that pouches are an adult smoking-cessation tool and should never be marketed to children. The federation has also written to Scottish health secretary Neil Gray, seeking meetings with both governments.

  • KT&G, Altria on Track to Expand Global Pouch Business

    KT&G told Nate News that its plans to enter the global nicotine pouch market in earnest next year are moving forward as planned, believing that its $176.8 million purchase of Another Snus Factory will be completed this year, followed by disposing of 49% of the company to Altria.

    “Starting next year, we plan to expand the nicotine pouch business beyond the five Nordic countries [Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland] to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North America,” a KT&G official said.

    According to Euromonitor, the global nicotine pouch market reached $11.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow more than 30% this year.

  • Survey Challenges Perceptions on Youth Access to Pouches

    Survey Challenges Perceptions on Youth Access to Pouches

    Despite extensive media reporting about online and social media enabling youth access to nicotine pouches, survey data suggests that brick-and-mortar stores are a much more common source for minors in the UK. A new survey by Haypp found that two-thirds of Brits believe minors find it easier to buy nicotine pouches online than in physical stores. However, the Nicotine Pouch Report shows the opposite: 56% of under-18s who admitted purchasing pouches said they bought them from corner shops, 17% from supermarkets, and 31% via friends. Only 21% reported buying online.

    Currently, UK law does not prohibit the sale of nicotine pouches to under-18s, a loophole set to close under the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill. While reputable online retailers use strict digital age verification, many physical stores fail to enforce checks. Haypp is urging all retailers to adopt robust age verification measures to prevent underage sales, stressing that online systems often provide more consistent safeguards than in-person checks.

  • PMI Gets Approval to Produce Nicotine Pouches in Bangladesh

    PMI Gets Approval to Produce Nicotine Pouches in Bangladesh

    Philip Morris received approval from the Bangladesh government to open a factory in Narayanganj to produce nicotine pouches. The project, granted by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), involves an initial investment of $5.8 million with a planned annual production of 536.3 million units, with operations required to start within a year.

    The news sparked opposition from anti-tobacco campaigners who are calling for the revocation of the approval. However, Beza described the pouches as “anti-nicotine” products and noted there is no explicit ban on their production or export, despite a government import ban on e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems.

    Authorities are reviewing environmental and regulatory compliance, with Philip Morris Bangladesh seeking clearance from the Department of Environment.

  • Nicokick Introduces Nicotine Pouch Advent Calendar

    Nicokick Introduces Nicotine Pouch Advent Calendar

    Nicokick.com announced the launch of its first-ever nicotine pouch advent calendar, a limited-edition release for adults aged 21 and over. Available beginning November 12, the calendar features 24 days of nicotine pouch samples from top and emerging brands, retailing for $69.99 exclusively on Nicokick.com. Designed to let adult consumers explore a variety of brands, strengths, and flavors, the collection includes Zone, Rogue, Zyn, FRE, Sesh, and Nic-S, among others, with pouch strengths ranging from 3 mg to 9 mg.

    “We created the advent calendar as a transparent, seasonal way for adults to explore the variety of nicotine pouch brands available on Nicokick.com,” said James Lees, vice president of retention. The company says the launch aligns with its goal of helping adult tobacco users discover smoke-free alternatives in an engaging, educational format.