Healthcare Certification
FAQs
LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Certification is a powerful way to ensure that your business is operating in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. It's also a necessary part of the approval process for conducting card-not-present transactions with Visa and Mastercard and for advertising on Google and Bing.
Getting Started with Certification FAQs
Below is a link to our General Certification FAQs, where you’ll find helpful answers to common questions and useful information about the certification process across all LegitScript Certification programs.
This FAQ is intended as a general reference and does not replace our Certification Standards or Terms & Conditions for each program.
Who should apply for Healthcare Certification?
Healthcare Certification is intended for businesses involved in the online sale, prescribing, facilitation, or payment processing of prescription medications (and certain over-the-counter medications).
If your website includes information about substance use disorder treatment services, Addiction Treatment Certification may be the more appropriate program. For more information, see "Should I apply for Healthcare Certification or Addiction Treatment Certification?" on the Getting Started Certification FAQ page.
Is my business eligible for Healthcare Certification?
Your business is likely eligible if your website performs one or more of the following activities.
Activities that are generally in scope
- Sell or advertise prescription medications online
- Offer telemedicine or online consultations that may result in a prescription
- Process online or card-not-present payments for prescription drugs
- Manufacture, wholesale, or distribute pharmaceuticals
- Connect patients with contracted pharmacies or healthcare providers
- Operate a prescription price comparison, coupon, or discount website
Common examples of eligible businesses
Pharmacies
- Online pharmacies
- Retail pharmacies
- Mail-order pharmacies
- Veterinary pharmacies
- Compounding pharmacies
- Over-the-counter pharmacies (human and veterinary)
Telemedicine providers
- Businesses offering online consultations that may result in a prescription
- Businesses processing card-not-present payments for prescription medications, such as medical spas
Pharmaceutical supply chain
- Manufacturers
- Virtual manufacturers
- Wholesalers
- Distributors
Other healthcare businesses
- Brokers
- Facilitators
- Prescription price comparison websites
- Prescription discount websites
What businesses are generally not eligible?
Businesses are generally not eligible if they do not perform an activity covered by Healthcare Certification.
Healthcare providers
- In-person-only clinics that do not offer telemedicine prescribing or process card-not-present payments for prescription drugs
- Med spas that do not prescribe through telemedicine or process card-not-present payments for prescription drugs
Healthcare businesses
- Health insurers
Products and services
- Businesses whose products consist solely of dietary supplements
- Research-use-only chemical businesses (including peptides)
- Medical device businesses
- Homeopathic-only businesses
- Businesses who offer medical or recreational marijuana
Special cases
- Pharmaceutical exporters whose business relies on personal-importation policies
- U.S. medical marijuana recommendation businesses when that is their primary business activity
Some businesses in these categories may still qualify if they also perform other in-scope healthcare activities.
What is the difference between self sign-up and Enterprise Healthcare Certification?
Both paths lead to the same certification. Self sign-up and Enterprise Healthcare Certification follow the same Certification Standards, the same review process, and the same outcome: a business verified as compliant with applicable laws and regulations, positioning them for advertising and payment processing opportunities.
Self sign-up is built for a less complex business structure. You create an account, submit one application (which can include multiple domains), and move through the standard review process at standard pricing.
Enterprise Healthcare Certification is built for organizations managing certification at scale, such as telehealth infrastructure providers and multi-location or multi-entity organizations. It consolidates certification for your entire network into one process, with a dedicated account manager, expedited or priority processing, and discounted bulk pricing.
As a general guide, organizations managing multiple root domains, have a high provider or location count, operate within a multitude of jurisdictions, or identify as a healthcare system are good candidates for enterprise certification.
If you manage certification for one business, self sign-up is the right fit. If you're managing certification across many, enterprise certification is built to scale with you.
For more information see our Enterprise Healthcare Certification page.
What if I'm not sure whether my business is eligible?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you sell or advertise prescription medication online?
- Do you offer telemedicine that may result in a prescription?
- Do you process online or card-not-present payments for prescription drugs?
- Are you a pharmaceutical manufacturer, wholesaler, or distributor?
- Do you connect patients with pharmacies or healthcare providers through contractual relationships?
- Do you operate a prescription price comparison or discount website?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, your business is likely eligible.
Still unsure?
Email [email protected] with:
- Your legal business name
- Your website URL
- A description of your business model
We'll review your information and help determine whether your business is eligible.
What is the difference between a broker and a facilitator?
Both business models connect patients with healthcare providers or pharmacies, but they operate differently.
Facilitator
- A facilitator presents itself as the healthcare-facing business, connecting patients with third-party telemedicine providers or pharmacies that actually deliver care.
- Maintains a contractual or financial relationship with its partners
- May process online or card-not-present payments for prescription drugs
- For example, a facilitator may market a treatment program under its own brand while relying on a partner network for consultations and fulfillment.
Broker
- A broker primarily connects consumers to independent healthcare businesses rather than presenting the underlying services as its own.
- Maintains contractual or financial relationships with multiple partners
- May process online or card-not-present payments for prescription drugs
- For example, a broker may help consumers "find a telemedicine provider" or "find a pharmacy near you," directing them to third parties through which they have a contractual relationship with, for care.
Businesses are generally not eligible if they do not perform an activity covered by Healthcare Certification.
Is my med spa eligible?
It depends.
Med spas are generally eligible only if they:
- Offer telemedicine that may result in a prescription, or
- Process online or card-not-present payments specifically for prescription medications.
Payments for consultations, appointments, or deposits alone do not make a med spa eligible.
Is my SaaS platform eligible?
Usually not.
Software platforms are generally not eligible unless they:
- Hold healthcare licensure
- Contract directly with healthcare providers or pharmacies
- Process online or card-not-present payments for prescription drugs
- Interact directly with patients as part of an in-scope healthcare service
How much does Healthcare Certification cost?
Certification fees are assessed per root domain. You can find more information about per root domain pricing under the Getting Started section of this FAQ and then Pricing & Billing.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | $975 |
| Annual Certification Fee | $2,150 |
The annual certification fee is due only if your application is approved.
Do I need to certify subdomains or subpages?
No.
Healthcare Certification applies to the root domain.
For example, if example.com is certified, shop.example.com and support.example.com are covered under the same certification.
Can I certify multiple businesses or websites?
Yes.
Businesses or websites under common ownership may be included within a single application.
Certification fees are assessed separately for each root domain, and all associated fees are billed to a single payment method.
What are Enterprise Healthcare Certification and Enterprise Referral Partnerships?
Enterprise Healthcare Certification is designed to support certification at scale for large, complex organizations and Enterprise Referral Partnerships are for organizations that manage multiple healthcare businesses or clients. Benefits may include:
-
- Streamlined onboarding
- Dedicated support
- Consolidated certification management
- A more streamlined certification process for large organizations
If we determine that an organization qualifies for an enterprise solution, we will route the application to our Enterprise team.
For more information see our Enterprise Healthcare Certification page.
What changes do I need to report after certification?
Please notify [email protected] if your business experiences significant changes.
Business changes
- Ownership
- Business operations
- Partnerships
Website changes
- Major website updates
- New services
- Expansion into new jurisdictions
Licensing and regulatory changes
- Licensing updates
- Disciplinary actions
- Regulatory actions involving your business, principals, or employees
Keeping us informed helps ensure your certification remains accurate and in compliance.
How do I add another website or business?
You do not need to submit a new application unless you would like to manage the certification for this new website separately from your existing certification. If you want to manage this website separately (i.e. distinct analyst reviews, distinct billing cycle, etc.) start a new application.
To add another website without starting a new application:
- Email [email protected] with the website URL.
- Complete a compliance review for the additional website.
- Pay the applicable application fee.
Additional websites added in this manner will share the same renewal date as your existing certification.
Renewal discount
If the additional website is approved within six months of your renewal date, its initial annual certification fee will be reduced by 50%.
What are the benefits of Healthcare Certification?
Healthcare Certification demonstrates that your business meets LegitScript's Certification Standards and provides access to important advertising and payment processing opportunities.
Benefits include:
- Eligibility to advertise on participating platforms such as Google, Meta, Netflix, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Microsoft Bing (subject to each platform's advertising policies)
- Independent verification that your business meets LegitScript's Certification Standards
- Recognition by participating payment providers and financial institutions such as Visa and Mastercard, streamlining high risk merchant registration
- Increased credibility with patients, business partners, and industry stakeholders
Please note: LegitScript Certification may be required to participate in certain advertising programs, but it does not guarantee advertising approval. For information about advertising policies, platform-specific advertising decisions, and examples of services that may be subject to additional advertising restrictions, see "Who can answer questions about advertising policies or advertising decisions?" on the Getting Started Certification FAQ page.