By registering for Payments AI, you cannot use this Service to accept payments in connection with any prohibited businesses, business activities, or business practices.
List of Restricted/Prohibited Items:
First, you cannot sell or promote any items or services that are prohibited by law in the jurisdiction of the transaction.
You cannot sell any of the items listed below:
Any illegal goods or services, or that encourage, promote, facilitate, or instruct others to engage in illegal activity.
Escort & Bride catalogs, sexual services, mail order brides, prostitution, sexually explicit content (books, videos, streaming, websites), strip clubs, sexually-oriented massage parlors.
Financial consulting services and Real Estate.
Foreign Currency Exchange services or software, binary options, and Forex trading platforms.
Cryptocurrency of any kind, including but not limited to: Bitcoin, Ethereum, NFTs, DeFi tokens, and cryptocurrency exchange platforms.
Dropshipping.
Live animals, Human body parts/fluids/remains (excluding hair pieces), live endangered animals, ivory, or products derived from protected species.
Items that include computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, dishonest adware, crimeware, unauthorized rootkits, and other malicious and/or illegal software.
Cloud storage, VPN, file sharing, and (high-risk) cyber lockers.
Security brokers/investments of any kind, including the purchase of: securities, currencies, derivatives, commodities, shares, options, precious metals, and other financial instruments.
Medical Benefit Packages, discount medical cards, Medical/therapy services, medical consultation services, dental plans, medical spa services, intravenous (IV) therapy, IV drip bars, vitamin infusion clinics, and hangover cure services.
Unapproved drugs, and devices mimicking illegal drugs, designer drugs, synthetic drugs, research chemicals, and bath salts.
Phone unlock services, jailbreakers.
Pornography and adult content featuring children and/or individuals under the age of 18 years, and/or featuring rape/violence/bestiality, and/or all other illegal sexual content.
Casual dating services, adult dating platforms.
Tobacco, smoking supplies, e-cigarettes, e-liquids, vaping liquid, vaping accessories, nicotine products, hookah supplies, cigars, and chewing tobacco.
Products that infringe or violate copyright, trademarks, privacy, IP rights, counterfeit goods, replica or knock-off products, stolen or recalled property, satellite/cable signal decoders.
Rape/Violence content, products promoting hatred, racism, religious persecution, or containing offensive content, extremist or terrorist content.
Sites promoting hatred, racism, religious persecution, or containing offensive content.
Charities, non-profit organizations, crowdfunding platforms.
Direct Marketing, Inbound teleservices, outbound telemarketing and travel-related arrangement services, Insurance services (life and non-life), catalog merchants, door-to-door sales.
Travel agents, tour operators, airlines, cruise lines, timeshare, and timeshare maintenance services.
Selling social media activity: Twitter/X followers, Facebook likes, YouTube views, or any click farm services.
Lifetime Services (lifetime memberships, lifetime subscriptions, lifetime access).
Virtual Credit, stored value products, prepaid access resellers, and gift card resale.
Penny auctions and auctions with non-refundable bid or participation fees. Legal gambling or Game of Skill where participants receive cash or cash equivalents or prizes with/of material value: including but not limited to: Casinos, poker, bingo, slot machines, betting, lotteries, racing, fantasy sports. This includes all US-based gambling services.
Weapons, firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, explosives, hazardous materials, combustibles, knives (as weapons), brass knuckles, throwing stars, silencers/suppressors.
Nutraceuticals, supplements, and CBD products (without specific written approval from Payments AI — see Approval Restrictions for Nutraceuticals and Supplements).
Payday loans, unsecured loans from non-FDIC insured institutions, credit repair, and credit protection services.
Debt repayment and collection agencies.
Money transfer and remittance services.
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) or installment payment method providers.
Auction houses, ticket agencies, bidding fee auctions.
Pseudoscience services, including clairvoyance, horoscope readings, psychic readings, fortune telling, and tarot readings.
Political, social, or religious campaigning or donation collection.
Standalone tipping services or tipping platforms.
Pharmaceuticals, prescription drugs, prescription medical devices.
Pawn shops, bail bonds, bankruptcy lawyers.
Detective agencies, private investigators.
Essay mills, academic fraud services, contract cheating.
Get-rich-quick schemes, pyramid selling, chain letters, Ponzi schemes, and financial scams.
Gambling services of any kind, including online casinos, sports betting, poker sites, online bingo, and lottery ticket sales.
Deceptive marketing practices, including false advertising, pre-checked opt-ins, negative option billing, and business models designed to evade chargeback monitoring.
Social media manipulation services (buying/selling followers, likes, views, or engagement).
Malicious software, including viruses, trojans, crimeware, rootkits, spyware, and ransomware.
Note on Nutraceuticals: Payments AI has specific approval to process standard nutraceutical and supplement merchants, subject to a mandatory review and approval process. This approval does not extend to CBD, THC, kratom, SARMs, peptides, weight-loss products, sexual enhancement products, IV therapy, or any supplement making medical or drug claims. A minimum 10% rolling reserve for 180 days is required for all approved nutraceutical accounts. See: Approval Restrictions for Nutraceuticals and Supplements
If you are uncertain as to whether your business is a Prohibited Business or have questions about how these requirements apply to you, please reach out to us by clicking the blue support widget in the bottom right-hand corner of this page or email us at [email protected]