Prohibited and Restricted products & services
Effective from November 1, 2022
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Our eligibility criteria:
To meet internal and external obligations, some industries may be prohibited or restricted from working with Adyen. This is based on a range of factors including but not limited to the following:
Local, national and international laws
Requirements of our payment partners (e.g. card networks)
Level of assessed risk (e.g. chargebacks, fraud)
Reputational impact to Adyen and cost aspects associated with this
Additional restrictions and/or prohibitions to this list may be applicable.
This can be due to including, but not limited to legality of certain products in certain jurisdictions, use of payment methods, applicability of scheme rules or compatibility with Adyen's Platform Solutions.
If you require additional information about the specific onboarding requirements and restrictions applicable to your business, please talk to your Adyen representative or get in touch.
1. Business model
Depending on your business model product or services restrictions or prohibitions may apply. First, define if you are operating a ‘Merchant’ business model or a ‘Platform / Partner business’. Then check if any restrictions or prohibitions are applicable to your business in the list in the next section.
<p>A business that sells products/services to its customers in its own name and on its own responsibility.</p>
Platform / Partner business
Any partner or platform merchant connected to Adyen enabling another party (third party or Adyen sub-merchant) to use the Adyen services to sell their products and services through the services of such platform or partner.
If your business is connected to Adyen through a Platform / Partner business, the restrictions in this category also apply to you.
<p>E.g. a grocery store or online retailer that sells products from various brands. Includes franchisees.</p>
Platform / Partner business
E.g. a marketplace / platform, staged digital wallet operator, payment facilitator. Restrictions also apply to sub-sellers.
2. Restricted and Prohibited Products and Services
The list below shows all the products and services that are restricted or prohibited from using Adyen services for ‘Merchant’ business models and ‘Platform / Partner business’ models.
<p><span class="table-icon R">R</span></p>
This symbol indicates that your products or services offering is restricted. We will require additional documentation prior to onboarding. When Adyen agrees to provide its services for a broad category of services (e.g. DVDs) it does not imply that consent is given for subcategories within that category which are prohibited or restricted as per this list (e.g. counterfeit DVDs).
The fact that Adyen agrees to provide its services for a particular product or service should not be interpreted as an advice or opinion as to the legality of a merchant’s products and services and of the intended use of the services therefore. The merchant is and remains solely responsible to ensure that their products and services and those of their affiliates are compliant with applicable laws, regulations and scheme rules.
<p><span class="table-icon P">P</span></p>
This symbol indicates that the business or service is prohibited from using Adyen’s services. When entering into an agreement with Adyen and using Adyen's services you are confirming that you are not offering or are affiliated to the products or services listed as prohibited.
The scheme owners of local payment methods may have more stringent restrictions with respect to certain products or services. Businesses should check current restrictions or prohibitions applicable to the relevant payment method when using it to ensure compliance.
If you require additional information about the onboarding requirements and restrictions applicable to your business talk to your Adyen representative or get in touch.
Adult
<p>Adult goods (excluding fetish products)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Fetish products</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Content: Books, magazines, audio, videos, websites, streaming services and other content formats deemed offensive or of a sexual nature</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Entertainment: Gentleman's clubs, topless bars, strip clubs, sexually oriented massage parlors, saunas, escort agencies or any sexually-related services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Financial Businesses
<p>Bearer share entities</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Binary options</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Buy now pay later / Instalment payment methods</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Credit repair and credit protection business</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Debt repayment and collection agency</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>E-wallet or e-money that can be monetized, re-sold or converted to physical and digital goods and services or otherwise exit the virtual world</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Financial service or money service business, including but not limited to: • traveler checks • money orders • Foreign Exchange • check cashing • virtual currencies • cash advances by non-financial institutes</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Fines or penalty collections of any kind</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Independent or unlicensed financial advisors</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Insurance sales and services (life)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Insurance sales and services (non-life)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Money transfer & remittance businesses</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Payday loans, unsecured loans and loans originating from non FDIC insured banks</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Payroll, invoice & business services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Provider or seller prepaid access/stored value</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Shell banks</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Intellectual Property (IP)
<p>Counterfeit products, replicas or designed infringements of them including products designed to circumvent IP</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Essay mills, paper mills where the intent is to falsely submit documents as their own work</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Products designed to circumvent copyright protection techniques or to otherwise facilitate the unlicensed use of copyrighted material</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>The use of Adyen's logo and IP without express permission or in a way that creates reputation risk for Adyen</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Marketing practices
<p>Business investment opportunities operating as ‘get rich quick schemes’</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Business models that use ransom- or extortion like practices</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Business practices that are designed to evade excessive chargeback monitoring programs</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Data Pass</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Deceptive marketing tactics related to disclosure, false or inaccurate claims, before/after claims, endorsements, cancellation or refunds avoidance, pre-checked opt-ins, poorly disclosed negative options, misappropriation of incentives, disproportionate rebates, sweepstakes</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Fake references and other services or products that foster deception</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Inbound telemarketing for postcard or mailings</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Products or services that promote hate, violence, discrimination, terrorism, harassment or abuse in any shape or form</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Pyramid selling, chain letters or other financial scams</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Not-for-Profit
<p>Charities</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Crowdfunding</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Other products & services
<p>Airlines</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Ancestry research</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Animals and wildlife products classified as endangered or protected</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Art dealers and galleries</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Auction houses</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Bail bonds and bankruptcy lawyers</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Bidding fee and penny auctions</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Casual dating services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Car and truck rental / sales / importers / car parts</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Certain social media business (e.g. click farms)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Cloud storage, VPN, file sharing, (high-risk) cyber lockers</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Cruise Lines</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Direct Marketing – Inbound teleservices, outbound telemarketing and travel-related arrangement services, Insurance services, catalog merchants, door-to-door sales</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Drop shipping</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Governmental services, such as embassies or consulates</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Hazardous materials (B2B), including but not limited to: • Hydrofluoric acid • Products containing cyanide • Prohibited ozone-depleting substances (ODS) • Nitric acid • Peptides, research chemicals • Bacteria cultures or other products containing E-coli or Escherichia coli</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Hazardous materials (B2C), as described above</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Health practitioners, private medical practices, e-doctors, dental/medical services and facilities</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Human body parts or bodily fluids (excluding hair and teeth)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Internet product and service providers</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Intravenous therapy (e.g .IV drip bar, vitamin infusions, hang over cures)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Jewelry, watch, precious stones, metals and silverware stores</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Key-entry telecom merchant</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Live-streaming Services without in-app currency</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Live-streaming Services with in-app donations functionality</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Mail order spouse or international match-making services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Medical, dental, ophthalmic and hospital equipment and supplies</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Nutraceuticals and food products, not including highly regulated products such as CBD and kava kava</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Nutraceuticals and food products (highly regulated), including, but not limited to CBD and kava kava related products</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Pawn shops</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Political, religious or Social Campaigning</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Real estate services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Services associated with pseudoscience (e.g. clairvoyance, horoscopes)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Telemarketing companies selling products or services as an agent for a third party</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Ticket agencies</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Timeshare and timeshare maintenance</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Travel agents and tour operators</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Veterinary practices</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Regulated
<p>Alcohol sales</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Drugs, and tools specifically intended for the production of drugs, drug paraphernalia, illegal drugs, substances designed to mimic illegal drugs and / or other psychoactive products</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Illegal products or services or any service providing peripheral support of illegal activities, including illegal gambling services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>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</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Products or services specifically offered or intended to be used to create, produce or grow drugs or drug ingredients</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Pharmaceuticals, prescription medicine and medical devices (including animal pharmaceuticals)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Tobacco, smoking supplies, e-cigarettes, e-liquids, vaping liquid, vaping accessories (domestic sale)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Tobacco, smoking supplies, e-cigarettes, e-liquids, vaping liquid, vaping accessories (online sale)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Trade of fireworks, flammable or radioactive materials</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Trade of weapons, ammunitions, military arms, explosive devices and firearm parts</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Any type of US based gambling services</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Securities & Trading
<p>Cryptocurrency exchange</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>High-risk securities such as: • contract for difference (CFD) • financial spread betting • initial coin offering (ICO) • forex currency options • cryptocurrency options • trading and purchases</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Security brokers /investments of any kind including the purchase of: • securities • currencies • derivatives • commodities • shares • options • precious metals • other financial instruments</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Third party Payment Processing
<p>Aggregators, including but not limited to marketplaces, platforms</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Staged Digital Wallet Operators</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Payment Facilitators or other internet payment or member service providers (IPSP or MPS)</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
<p>Payment service companies, including but not limited to peer-to-peer, bill payments, commissary accounts</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business
Technology
<p>Decryption and descrambler products and services, devices designed to block, jam or interfere with cellular and personal communications</p>
Merchant
Platform / Partner Business