Is LegitScript Certification Worth It?

What it does for payments

LegitScript's 101 guide says Visa and Mastercard recognize its certification to streamline the high-risk merchant registration process for pharmacies and telemedicine providers that process card-not-present transactions under merchant category codes 5122 and 5912. Stripe, on the other hand, says telemedicine businesses don't need LegitScript to use Stripe, though it lists telemedicine as a restricted business that needs its approval. What is a card network rule and what is a processor's own ask is set out in our answer on LegitScript for Stripe and card payments.

What it costs

LegitScript's pricing, checked October 12, 2026, is $975 per website to apply, nonrefundable, and a $2,150 annual certification fee per website that is due only once the application is approved. That is $3,125 in the first year for one domain and $2,150 a year after. Expedited processing costs $2,500 more per application. Probationary certification, for businesses LegitScript decides need heavier monitoring, keeps the $975 application fee and charges $3,995 a year per website. Each root domain needs its own fees, though subdomains are covered. The LegitScript cost calculator turns those fees into a budget for your own domains.

How long it takes

LegitScript's FAQ says every application is different, so it can't provide an estimated timeline; review time depends on complexity, completeness, how fast you answer and its current volume. On the page describing its enterprise partnership for payment companies, LegitScript says that once a complete application is submitted, 70 to 80% of applicants achieve certification in under four weeks and about half in two weeks or less. Treat those as LegitScript's averages, not a promise for any one brand. Expedited processing starts review within two business days after screening but doesn't shorten it.

Who can skip it

LegitScript's own pages say who doesn't need Healthcare Certification or can't get it. Its FAQ says in-person-only clinics and med spas that don't prescribe through telemedicine or process card-not-present payments for prescription drugs are generally not eligible, along with supplement-only businesses and research-use-only chemical sellers, peptides included. Its certification page says a telemedicine provider might not need it if it offers only non-clinical wellness services, doesn't advertise on platforms that require it, and handles payments only for services outside healthcare compliance reviews.

• A therapy or counseling practice that doesn't prescribe online. Google, Meta and Microsoft name no certification for it, though health targeting limits still apply.
• An in-person clinic. In the US, Google lets it name a prescription drug in ad text and on landing pages without certification, but bidding on drug-name keywords needs Google's certification.
• A telehealth brand running only service ads on Meta, for now. Once it wants Google, or a Meta ad that names the drug, the answer changes.
• Addiction treatment providers, who need LegitScript's separate Addiction Treatment Certification instead.

How to decide

The test MedScale uses is short. If the business prescribes online and Google is in the plan, certification is required and the only question is how fast to get it. If the business wants Meta ads that name, price or sell a prescription drug, it is required. If pharmacy payments run under card-not-present pharmacy codes, ask the processor whether it wants LegitScript, NABP or something else. If none of those apply, certification is optional and the money usually does more elsewhere.

What MedScale does

MedScale Health starts every telehealth engagement by checking whether the brand needs certification for the channels in its plan, prepares the application when it does, and runs Meta service ads while the review is pending. It then files Google's certification, Meta's authorization and Microsoft's preapproval on the certified domain. LegitScript's decision and timing are its own, so no date is promised. Our step-by-step guide to the application lists every document LegitScript asks for.