Prohibited Merchant Types

PROHIBITED MERCHANT TYPES

Certain types of industries, products or services can present excessive risk that is considered unacceptable for a processing relationship.  These types of merchants are classified as Prohibited and are outlined within the Prohibited Merchant Types listing.  The Prohibited list also incorporates sponsor banks’ prohibited merchant types, as well as the categories considered unacceptable by the card brands.  With this, any merchants determined to be in a Prohibited category, or any merchants providing prohibited goods or services in whole or in part, cannot be considered for processing by CSG Forte.  The following business types are considered Prohibited and will not be considered for processing:

• Accounts Receivable or Billing Companies (Credit Cards)
• Adult or Pornographic Businesses – Novelties, Products, Books, Videos, Stores, Strip Clubs, Memberships, Websites, 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)
• Airlines – Charter, National and International
• Airports, Airport Terminals
• All Prohibited Card Brand Merchant Types (Credit Cards)
• 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
• 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
• Businesses with a BBB (Better Business Bureau) Rating of “F” 
• Buying or Shopping Services and Clubs
• 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 Counseling, Credit Repair or Credit Restoration Services
• Cross-Border Acquiring
• Crowd Sourced Fundraising
• Cruise or Steamship Lines
• Cryptocurrency Exchanges or Related Businesses
• Currency or Commodity Exchange Services
• Custom Golf Clubs or Accessories (Card Not Present)
• Data Pass (Merchants Sharing or Collecting Cardholder Data with Third Parties)
• Dating and Escort Services
• Debt Servicing – Consolidation, Elimination, Reduction, Repair, Management, Consulting, Modification, etc.
• Deceptive Marketing Practices
• Decryption or Descrambler Products (includes Mod Chips, Cable Box Descramblers, and IP Masking Services)
• Delayed Delivery Merchants (includes Deposits for Future Goods or Services)
• 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-Cash Products or Services
• Embassy, Foreign Consulate or Other Foreign Government
• Essay or Paper Mills (Ghostwriting Services that Sell Essays, Term Papers, etc.)
• Facsimile (Fax) Services
• Fake References, Services, Products, etc. that Foster Deception
• Fantasy Sports
• File Sharing Services
• Financial Institutions – Manual Cash Disbursements, Merchandise, Services, Lending, etc.
• 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.
• Gambling – All Forms Including Lotteries, Internet Gaming, Contests, Sweepstakes, Prizes, Off-Track Betting, Sports Forecasting, etc.
• Government Grants
• 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
• 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
• 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.
• Jammers or Devices that Interfere with Personal Communication Devices
• Leasing Merchants
• Licensed Insolvency Practitioners
• Loan Payments (Credit Cards)
• Loan Modification, Consulting Services or Forensic Loan Audit Services
• 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
• Massage Parlors (Non-Franchised)
• Medical Benefits Packages
• Medical Testing Services and Related Products (Not Administered by a Health Practitioner) 
• Memberships or Subscriptions in Excess of One Year 
• 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 $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
• Multi-Level Marketing Businesses or Pyramid Schemes
• Nutraceuticals (Health or Medicinal Additives)
• OFAC (Office of Foreign Asset Control) Restricted Territories, Companies, or Individuals 
• Outbound Telemarketing Merchants
• 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 (includes Nutraceuticals)
• Pharmacies and Prescription Medication (Card Not Present)
• Prepaid Phone Cards, Phone / Pager Services 
• Prepaid Credit or Debit Cards 
• 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.
• Quasi-Cash or Stored Value Services or Products
• Ransom-Like or Extortion-Like Business Model
• Real Estate Flipping
• Rebate-Based Businesses
• 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
• Sports Forecasting or Odds Making (Gambling)
• Substances Designed to Mimic Illegal Drugs
• Synthetic Drug Sales
• Telecommunication Companies that Offer Local and Long-Distance Services, Wireless, Cable, Satellite, Wireline, Internet Service Providers (ISP), Magnetic Stripe Reading Telephones, etc. (Non-Major Carrier) 
• Telemarketing Companies or Merchants Operating as an Agent for a Third Party
• Telemedicine or Medical Consultation (Card Not Present)
• Third Party Processors or Payment Aggregators Outside of Card Brand Approved Payment Facilitators 
• Timeshares and Timeshare Related Businesses
• Tobacco Sales (Card Not Present)
• Virtual Currency or Merchants Offering Virtual Currency that can be Monetized and Exited as Real Currency
• Travel Agencies and Travel Brokers – Third Party Agencies
• Travel Related Membership Clubs
• Vacation Planners
• Warranty Companies and Extended Warranty Companies or Services Plans
• Weapons (3D Printers) – Accessories, Equipment or Programs for the Creation of Firearms.