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Prohibited Business Types

Merchants involved, either wholly or partially, in the following activities are not eligible for processing services with CSG Forte.

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.

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