Prohibited Business Types

A

• Accounts Receivable or Billing Companies (Credit Cards) – Restricted for Wells Fargo
  
• Adult or Pornographic Businesses – Novelties, Products, Books, Videos, Stores, Strip Clubs, Memberships, Websites, Bestiality, etc.
• Adult Chat Lines or Audio Text (i.e., “900” numbers)
• Advance Fee Credit Cards
• Age Verification Required for Legally Restricted Products or Services (Card Not Present) – Extremely Restricted for Wells Fargo
• Airlines – Charter, National and International
• Airports, Airport Terminals
• All Prohibited Card Brand Merchant Types (Credit Cards)
• Alternative Money Remittance Systems / Informal Value Transfer Systems – Prohibited for BMO
• Animal Breeding and Animal Sales
• Animals and Wildlife Products Classified as Endangered or Protected
• Any Merchant Operating within the United States that is not Subject to the State or Federal Jurisdiction of the United States
• Any Product, Service or Activity that is Deceptive, Unfair, Predatory or Prohibited by a Card Brand
• ATM (Automated Teller Machine) Owners or Operators

B

• Ce Bearer Share Entities
• Bidding Fee Auctions including Penny Auctions
• Businesses Offering “Free” or “Discounted” Trial Periods with Negative Option Renewals
• Businesses Offering “Pay for Shipping Only” Models
• Businesses that Heavily Promote “Up-Selling” Services or Products
• Businesses that May Increase Brand or Reputational Risk
• Buying or Shopping Services and Clubs

C

• Cannabidiol / CBD Related Products and Services (Includes Products that Contain CBD, CBD Derivatives or Where CBD Related Sales are a Material Portion of Sales) 
• Centralized Reservation Services
• Chain Letters
• Charitable Organizations without 501(c)(3) or Equivalent Non-Profit Status
• Check Cashing and Payment Facilitating Services
• Coin Dealers, Stamp Dealers or Merchants Selling Precious Metals or Stones
• Collection Agencies or Related Services (Credit Cards)
• Commodity Trading or Security Trading
• Counterfeit Goods
• Credit Card Protection or ID Theft Protection Services or Products
• Credit Counselling, Credit Repair or Credit Restoration Services
• Cross-Border Acquiring
• Crowd Sourced Fundraising (Restricted for Worldpay)
• Cruise or Steamship Lines
• Cryptocurrency Exchanges or Related Businesses
• Currency or Commodity Exchange Services

D

• Data Pass (Merchants Sharing or Collecting Cardholder Data with Third Parties)
• Dating and Escort Services – Prohibited for Worldpay
• Debt Servicing – Consolidation, Elimination, Reduction, Repair, Management, Consulting, Modification, Tax Elimination or Reduction, etc.
• Deceptive Marketing Practices
• Decryption or Descrambler Products (including Mod Chips, Cable Box Descramblers, and IP Masking Services)
• Delayed Delivery Merchants (includes Deposits for Future Goods or Services) – Restricted for Worldpay
• Digital Wallet or Prepaid Services Companies
• Direct Marketing – Inbound and Outbound Not Elsewhere Classified
• Discount Buying Memberships or Clubs
• Discount Coupon Merchants or Online Sites
• Discount Medical or Dental Plans including Discount Insurance
• Discriminatory, Hate-Related, or Racist Content 
• Distressed Property Sales and/or Marketing
• Drug Paraphernalia

E

• E-Cash Products or Services
• Embassy, Foreign Consulate or Other Foreign Government
• Essay or Paper Mills (Ghost writing Services that Sell Essays, Term Papers, etc.

F

• Facsimile (Fax) Services
• Fake References, Services, Products, etc. that Foster Deception
• Fantasy Sports
• File Sharing Services
• Firearms, Weapons and Firearm Related Products Including Ammunition (Card Not Present)
• Fireworks or Related Products
• Foreclosure Workout or Defense Programs
• Foreign Financial Institutions Not Regulated within the United States
• Foreign Governments or Foreign Government-Owned Entities
• Foreign-Owned Entities
• Fortune Tellers, Psychic or Occult Services, etc.

G

• Gambling – All Forms Including Lotteries, Internet Gaming, Contests, Sweepstakes, Prizes, Off-Track Betting, Sports Forecasting, Games of Skill, etc.
• Government Grants (Restricted for Wells Fargo)

H

• Hazardous Materials (Card Not Present)
• High-Interest Rate Non-Bank Consumer Lending (e.g., Payday Lending, Title Loans, etc.)
• Human Body Parts or Bodily Fluids

I

• Identity Theft Products or Services
• Illegal Drugs or Substances Designed to Mimic Illegal or Psychoactive Products
• Illegal Goods or Services (Represents or Mimics a Violation of Any Law, Statute or Regulation)
• Inbound Telemarketing Companies that Solicit Calls with Postcards or Similar Mailings
• Individuals for the Purpose of Person-to-Person Transactions
• International Sales
• International Shipping and Forwarding Brokers
• Intravenous (IV) Therapy (Extremely Restricted for Wells Fargo)
• IT (Information Technology) or Help Desk Support - Consumers Only
• International Match-Making Services
• Investment or “Get Rich Quick” Merchants, Businesses, Programs or Other Opportunities that Offer a Return on Investment
• Investments in Futures, Options, Derivatives, etc.

J

• Jammers or Devices that Interfere with Personal Communication Devices

L

• Leasing Merchants
• Licensed Insolvency Practitioners
• Loan Payments (Credit Cards)
• Loan Modification, Consulting Services or Forensic Loan Audit Services

M

• Mail Order Clubs - Catalog Orders, Mail Order Houses, Book, and Record Clubs, etc.
• Mail Order Spouse or International Match Making Services
• Marijuana and Cannabis Related Businesses (Goods and Services including Medical Marijuana)
• Marketplaces (Restricted for Worldpay)
• Massage Parlors (Non-Franchised)
• Medical Benefits Packages (Restricted for Wells Fargo)
• Medical Testing Services and Related Products (Not Administered by a Health Practitioner)
• Memberships or Subscriptions in Excess of One Year (Restricted for Wells Fargo)
• Merchants Accepting Credit Cards as Payment for a Dishonoured Check or for an Item Deemed Uncollectable by Another Merchant (Prohibited for Worldpay)
• Merchants Accepting Payments on Behalf of Other Merchants as Merchant of Record
• Merchants in/or Meeting Requirements of Card Brand Excessive Chargeback Programs
• Merchants Located or Operating Outside of the United States (Diverting Money out of U.S.)
• Merchants Offering Fake Products or Services that Foster Deception
• Merchants Offering Free Gifts, Incentives, Prizes, Contests, Enticements, or Rebates
• Merchants Offering “Mugshot” Removal Services (“Extortion-Like” Business Model)
• Merchants on MATCH
• Merchants Prohibited by Customer Identification Program (CIP) and Due Diligence Policies
• Merchant Submitting Factored Sales (Payments Originating from Other Commercial Entities)
• Merchants that Infringe on Copyrights, Trademarks, or Intellectual Property Rights
• Merchant that Accepts a Card at a Scrip-Dispensing Terminal
• Merchants Utilizing Negative Response Options, Renewals, Continuity Subscription Practices or Excessive Termination Fees Over US$500.00
• Merchants Utilizing Any Deceptive Practices (or to Evade Card Brand Excessive Chargeback Programs)
• Mobile Minutes Sales
• Money Service Businesses – Transfers, Wires, Money Orders, Currency, Transmitters, Check Cashing, etc.
• Mortgage Reduction or Modification Services
• Mountaintop Removal Mining (Prohibited WorldPay)
• Multi-Level Marketing Businesses or Pyramid Schemes

N

• Natural Resources Extraction in UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Prohibited for WorldPay)
• Nutraceuticals (Health or Medicinal Additives)

O

• OFAC (Office of Foreign Asset Control) Restricted Territories, Companies, or Individuals 
• Outbound Telemarketing Merchants

P

• Package Tour Operators 
• Pawn Shops and Salvage Yards
• Payday Loans or Credit Lines from non-FDIC Insured Banks
• Payment Network Sanctions – Entering or Residing in Card Brand Fineable Stage
• Peptides and Other Research Related Chemicals
• Personal Coaching and Self-Help Programs
• Personal Enhancement Products (including Nutraceuticals)
• Pharmacies and Prescription Medication (Card Not Present)
• Prepaid Phone Cards, Phone / Pager Services
• Prepaid Credit or Debit Cards
• Private Prisons and Immigration Facilities (Prohibited for WorldPay)
• Prescription Drugs or Products Sold without a Prescription
• Products or Services that Promote Hate, Abuse, Violence, Harassment, etc.
• Programs on How to Apply for Low Interest Credit Cards
• Pseudo-Pharmaceuticals or Nutraceuticals – Anti-Aging Pills, Sex Nutrients, Diet Pills, etc.

Q

• Quasi-Cash or Stored Value Services or Products

R

• Ransom-Like or Extortion-Like Business Model
• Real Estate Flipping
• Rebate-Based Businesses

S

• Security Brokers or Dealers (Credit Cards)
• Selling or Sales of Social Media Activity
• Sexually Oriented or Pornographic Products and Services
• Shell Banks (Financial Institution with No Physical Presence)
• Shipping or Forwarding Brokers
• Social Media “Click Farms” – Sales of Clicks, Likes, Endorsements on Social Media Sites
• Software Resellers (Prohibited for Worldpay)
• Sports Forecasting or Odds Making (Gambling)
• Staged Digital Wallets (Prohibited for Worldpay)
• Substances Designed to Mimic Illegal Drugs
• Synthetic Drug Sales

T

• Telemarketing Companies or Merchants Operating as an Agent for a Third Party
• Telemedicine, Telehealth or Medical Consultation (Card Not Present) – Prohibited for Worldpay
• Third Party Processors or Payment Aggregators Outside of Card Brand Approved Payment Facilitators
• Timeshares and Timeshare Related Businesses
• Tobacco Sales (Card Not Present)
• Travel Agencies and Travel Brokers – Third Party Agencies
• Travel Related Membership Clubs

V

• Vacation Planners
• Virtual Currency or Merchants Offering Virtual Currency that can be Monetized and Exited as Real Currency

W

• Warranty Companies and Extended Warranty Companies or Services Plans (Restricted for Wells Fargo and Worldpay)
• Weapons (3D Printers) – Accessories, Equipment or Programs for the Creation of Firearms.