Prohibited Business Categories
- Accounts Receivable or Billing Companies (Credit Cards) – Restricted for Wells Fargo
- Adult or Pornographic Businesses (e.g., novelties, content, clubs, websites)
- Adult Chat Lines / Audio Text Services (“900” numbers)
- Advance Fee Credit Cards
- Age-Restricted Products/Services Requiring Verification (CNP) – Extremely Restricted for Wells Fargo
- Airlines (Charter, National, International)
- Airport Terminals
- All Prohibited Card Brand Merchant Types
- Alternative Money Remittance Systems – Prohibited for BMO
- Animal Breeding and Sales
- Endangered or Protected Wildlife/Animal Products
- Entities not subject to U.S. jurisdiction
- Deceptive, Unfair, Predatory or Card Brand-Prohibited Services
- ATM Owners/Operators
- Bearer Share Entities
- Bidding Fee or Penny Auctions
- Negative Option Trial Offers or “Pay for Shipping Only” Models
- Businesses with heavy “Up-Sell” tactics
- Brands presenting Reputational Risk
- Buying Clubs / Shopping Services
- CBD / Cannabidiol Products and Derivatives
- Centralized Reservation Services
- Chain Letters
- Charities without 501(c)(3) or equivalent status
- Check Cashing or Payment Facilitating Services
- Coin, Stamp, Precious Metals or Stone Dealers
- Collection Agencies (Credit Cards)
- Commodity or Security Trading
- Counterfeit Goods
- Credit Card Protection or Identity Theft Services
- Credit Counseling, Repair, Restoration
- Cross-Border Acquiring
- Crowdsourced Fundraising – Restricted for Worldpay
- Cruise Lines or Steamships
- Cryptocurrency Exchanges or Services
- Currency Exchange / Commodity Exchange Services
- Data Pass Merchants (sharing cardholder data with third parties)
- Dating / Escort Services – Prohibited for Worldpay
- Debt Services (e.g., consolidation, reduction, consulting, tax elimination)
- Deceptive Marketing Practices
- Decryption / Descrambler Products (e.g., mod chips, cable box tools)
- Delayed Delivery Models (e.g., deposits for future goods) – Restricted for Worldpay
- Digital Wallet or Prepaid Service Providers
- Inbound / Outbound Direct Marketing (Unclassified)
- Discount Membership / Coupon / Medical or Insurance Clubs
- Discriminatory, Racist, or Hate-Based Content
- Distressed Property Sales / Marketing
- Drug Paraphernalia
- E-Cash Services
- Embassies / Foreign Governments or Consulates
- Essay or Paper Mills
- Fax Services
- Fake Services / Products fostering deception
- Fantasy Sports
- File Sharing Platforms
- Firearms, Ammunition, or Weapon Sales (CNP)
- Fireworks
- Foreclosure Defense Programs
- Foreign Financial Institutions not regulated in U.S.
- Fortune Telling, Psychic, or Occult Services
- Gambling (all forms including sweepstakes, forecasting, contests)
- Government Grant Merchants – Restricted for Wells Fargo
- Hazardous Materials (CNP)
- High-Interest Consumer Lending (e.g., payday loans)
- Human Body Parts or Fluids
- Identity Theft Products / Services
- Illegal Drugs or Psychoactive Substitutes
- Illegal Goods or Services
- Inbound Telemarketing via Mailers or Postcards
- Individual Person-to-Person Payment Facilitators
- International Sales, Shipping or Brokers
- IV Therapy – Extremely Restricted for Wells Fargo
- Consumer-Focused IT or Help Desk Support
- International Matchmaking / Mail Order Spouses
- Investment or “Get Rich Quick” Programs
- Futures, Derivatives, or Options Investments
- Communication Device Jammers
- Equipment Leasing Merchants
- Licensed Insolvency Practitioners
- Loan Payments via Credit Card
- Loan Modifications or Forensic Audit Services
- Mail Order Clubs (Catalog, Books, Music, etc.)
- Marijuana / Cannabis-Related Businesses (including medical)
- Marketplaces – Restricted for Worldpay
- Massage Parlors (Non-Franchised)
- Medical Benefit Packages – Restricted for Wells Fargo
- Medical Testing (without licensed practitioner)
- Subscriptions > 1 Year – Restricted for Wells Fargo
- Collecting Credit Card Payments on Behalf of Other Merchants – Prohibited for Worldpay
- Merchants on MATCH List
- Merchants with Card Brand Excessive Chargebacks
- Offshoring or Diverting Funds Outside the U.S.
- Fake Products or Deceptive Gift/Prize Offers
- “Mugshot” or Reputation Removal Services
- Merchants in Violation of CIP or KYC Protocols
- Factored Sales / Payment Aggregation Without Approval
- IP / Trademark Infringement Merchants
- Scrip-Dispensing Merchants
- High Termination Fee or Negative Option Subscription Models
- Mobile Minutes or Calling Card Sales
- Money Services (e.g., wires, check cashing, money orders)
- Mortgage Reduction / Modification
- MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) or Pyramid Schemes
- Nutraceuticals or Pseudo-Pharmaceuticals
- OFAC-Sanctioned Entities or Territories
- Outbound Telemarketing
- Package Tour Operators
- Pawn Shops / Salvage Yards
- Payday or Non-FDIC Loans
- Merchants in Card Brand Fineable Programs
- Peptides or Research Chemicals
- Personal Coaching / Self-Help Programs
- Enhancement Products (e.g., diet pills, supplements)
- Online Pharmacies (CNP)
- Prepaid Phones / Cards / Services
- Unprescribed Prescription Drug Sales
- Hate, Abuse, Violence-Promoting Products
- Credit Card Application or Approval “How-To” Programs
- Quasi-Cash / Stored Value Models
- Ransom-Like or Extortion Business Models
- Real Estate Flipping
- Rebate-Based Business Models
- Securities Brokers or Dealers (Credit Cards)
- Selling Social Media Activity (likes, follows)
- Sexually-Oriented Content or Services
- Shell Banks (No Physical Presence)
- Shipping or Freight Forwarding Brokers
- Social Media “Click Farms”
- Software Resellers – Prohibited for Worldpay
- Gambling Forecasting / Sports Betting Models
- Staged Digital Wallets – Prohibited for Worldpay
- Synthetic Drugs
- Third-Party Telemarketing or Agent-Based Sales
- Telemedicine (CNP) – Prohibited for Worldpay
- Unauthorized Third-Party Payment Aggregators
- Timeshare Sales and Related Services
- Tobacco Sales (CNP)
- Virtual Currency Converting to Real Currency
- Travel Agencies (Third-Party)
- Travel Membership Clubs
- Vacation Planning Services
- Warranty or Extended Warranty Programs – Restricted for Wells Fargo / Worldpay
- 3D-Printed Weapons or Components
