Tagada
Payments · Skincare4 min readUpdated October 26, 2026

Payment Methods for Skincare Brands

Which payment methods a skincare store should offer: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, PayPal, buy now pay later rules, and what works on refills.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 8 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

Offer cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay first, then PayPal: they cover most shoppers and work for refills. Buy now, pay later can lift routine bundles, but check the provider: Afterpay's agreement doesn't name cosmetics yet restricts "pseudo medicals, pseudo pharmaceuticals and/or nutriceuticals", and Klarna decides at its discretion. As with processors, claims decide where you land.

  • 9% of US shoppers who abandoned a checkout cite not enough payment methods (Baymard).
  • Shopify and BCG linked at least one accelerated wallet to higher conversion, up to more than 50% at the bottom of the funnel.
  • Afterpay restricts "pseudo medicals, pseudo pharmaceuticals and/or nutriceuticals" and prohibits "regulated products" (updated July 15, 2026).
  • Klarna "may in sole discretion decide" which products aren't allowed.
  • The median Beauty & Personal Care order is $66 (Polar, August 2026): BNPL suits bundles above that more than single refills.
Want to go further? AskChatGPTClaudePerplexityGrok
On this page

This guide is part of our hub on skincare payment processing. The general guide, for any business: payment methods for high-risk merchants.

Methods at a glance

MethodSkincare?Refill subscriptions?Note
CardsThrough your processorYesThe base
Apple Pay, Google PayThrough your processorYesDepending on setupFaster checkout2Shopify, with BCG, on accelerated checkouts, June 29, 2023
PayPalNot named; safety risks banned5PayPal Acceptable Use Policy, updated October 29, 2022YesWith billing agreementsIts own holds
Afterpay / ClearpayCosmetics not named; health-like claims restricted3Afterpay/Clearpay Merchant Services Agreement (published by Stripe), last updated July 15, 2026NoUnderwriting
KlarnaCase by case4Klarna Docs, Prohibited and restricted businesses, read October 26, 2026LimitedAsk first

Fig. 1Each method: skincare, refills, and what to watch

  1. Cards

    Through your processor. Refills: yes. The base of every checkout.

  2. Apple Pay, Google Pay

    Through your processor. Refills: yes, depending on setup. Faster checkout.

  3. PayPal

    Skincare not named; safety risks banned. Refills: yes, with billing agreements. Watch its own holds.

  4. Afterpay / Clearpay

    Cosmetics not named; health-like claims restricted. Refills: no. Underwriting applies.

  5. Klarna

    Case by case. Refills: limited. Ask first.

Cards and wallets carry refills. BNPL is for one-time orders.

Afterpay/Clearpay agreement, July 15, 2026; Klarna Docs and PayPal Acceptable Use Policy; Shopify with BCG, 2023.

Why the mix matters: 9% of US shoppers who abandoned a checkout cite not enough payment methods1Baymard Institute, Cart abandonment rate statistics and reasons for abandonment, updated September 22, 2025.

Buy now, pay later and skincare

Watch out

Adding BNPL through your processor doesn't mean the BNPL provider approved your products. Ask first.

Methods and refill subscriptions

Fig. 2What a refill can run on

A saved refill orderCharged off-session, each cycle
  1. CardSaved, renews without 3DS
  2. Apple Pay, Google PaySaved, depending on setup
  3. PayPalThrough a billing agreement
  4. Buy now, pay laterOne-time orders only
Stripe Docs on 3D Secure and Shopify Help Center on Shopify Subscriptions, 2026.

Rules for renewals: how to sell skincare products on subscription.

Which to show, in which order

  1. Express buttons on top: Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal.
  2. Card form below.
  3. BNPL on bundles and gift sets.
  4. Hide methods that can't renew when the cart has a subscription.
  5. Test order and visibility.

BNPL fits bundles above the $66 median beauty order more than single refills.

Tagada follows Visa and Mastercard rules and the laws that apply to payments.

Checkout setup: express checkout for skincare brands.

How Tagada helps

Every skincare payment method in one checkout

  • One-page checkout with Apple Pay and Google Pay, one-click upsells, order bumps and A/B tests
  • Routing across Stripe, Adyen and TagadaPay with one logic, cascade on decline
  • Subscriptions with trials, billing cycles, retries and automatic recovery
  • TagadaPay underwrites each file, with enhanced review on regulated verticals

Plans are on the pricing page.

Apply for processing
Every skincare payment method in one checkout

Updated on October 26, 2026

Nick Bonnassies

CMO at Tagada

CMO at Tagada. Before Tagada, Nick built direct-to-consumer brands that generated over $115M in sales, raised over $25M in crowdfunding and sold two of them. He also works as a fractional CMO on marketing operations and AI systems.

Frequently asked questions

What payment methods should a skincare store offer?

Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal cover most shoppers and work for refills. Baymard finds 9% of abandoning US shoppers cite too few payment methods. Add BNPL for bundles if the provider approves your products.

Can skincare brands use Afterpay?

Afterpay's agreement doesn't name cosmetics, but restricts "pseudo medicals, pseudo pharmaceuticals and/or nutriceuticals" and prohibits "regulated products". Products with cosmetic claims are the easiest to get approved; ask Afterpay.

Does Klarna work for beauty brands?

Klarna decides at its discretion, with non-exhaustive lists. Apply and get written approval for your products before showing the button.

Can customers pay for skincare refills with Apple Pay?

Usually, if your subscription system and processor support saved wallets. On Shopify Subscriptions with Authorize.net, Apple Pay and Google Pay aren't available.

Sources

Checked October 26, 2026
  1. Baymard Institute, Cart abandonment rate statistics and reasons for abandonment, updated September 22, 2025
  2. Shopify, with BCG, on accelerated checkouts, June 29, 2023
  3. Afterpay/Clearpay Merchant Services Agreement (published by Stripe), last updated July 15, 2026
  4. Klarna Docs, Prohibited and restricted businesses, read October 26, 2026
  5. PayPal Acceptable Use Policy, updated October 29, 2022
  6. Stripe Docs, Authenticate with 3D Secure, read October 26, 2026
  7. Shopify Help Center, Shopify Subscriptions considerations, read October 9, 2026
  8. Polar Analytics, Weekly ecommerce benchmarks, Beauty & Personal Care, updated August 25, 2026

TagadaPay

Offer the methods your skincare shoppers expect

Tell us what you sell and how you sell it. Each application is underwritten, and approval is not guaranteed.

Apply for processingSee pricing
  1. 01Tell us what you sell and how
  2. 02Underwriting reviews your business
  3. 03Process through TagadaPay alongside your other processors