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Prohibited businesses with GoDaddy Payments

You must not use GoDaddy Payments to conduct or support any of the businesses described below:

Firearms, Explosives and Dangerous Materials

Business Type Description
Firearms, Explosives and Ammunition Merchants selling weapons, devices, instruments, materials or substances that are designed to cause bodily injury or harm including without limitation, explosives and dangerous materials, firearms, and ammunition whether online or in person.

Finance and Payments

Business Type Description
Investment & Bearer Shares Merchants that buy sell and broker securities, stocks, bonds, commodities and mutual funds. Entities that have the ability to issue Bearer Shares as an ownership stake in a company.
Debt, legal services and credit cards

Non-bank businesses that primarily provide payment processing services to debt resolution or Collections Companies.

Collection Agencies, Debt Resolution Companies, Bankruptcy Attorney, Debt Resolution Payment Processors, and Credit Repair Services/Business

Cannot use credit card to pay existing debt considered in default.

Business that serves as intermediaries between consumers and creditors to recover debts owed.

Lawyers or legal firms whose principal business is counselling debtors through consumer bankruptcy.

Non-bank businesses that primarily provide payment processing services to debt resolution or Collections Companies.

Businesses that provide credit repair as a service to consumers.

Lenders & Primary Money Service Businesses (MSBs)

Businesses whose primary purpose is to offer payday lending services or auto title lending services.

Entities with 40% or more of annual revenues from one or more of the following:

  • Currency Dealer or Exchange
  • Check casher
  • Issuer of Traveler’s Checks, Money Orders, or Stored Value 
  • Seller or Redeemer of Traveler’s Checks, Money Orders or Stored Value, and Money Transmitter
Virtual currency or Shell banks

Businesses that serve as an exchanger for, or an administrator of, “virtual” currency. Virtual currencies generally have no legal tender in any jurisdiction.

Banks that do not have a physical presence in any country. They are not subject to any regulation.

Gambling, and Certain Regulated and Illegal activities

Business Type Description
Counterfeit or proprietary rights infringement Merchants selling counterfeit merchandise or goods where merchants are infringing on intellectual property rights of trademark owners.
Gambling & Penny auctions

Operations of gaming or betting establishments that occur on the internet.

Merchants conducting horse racing, dog racing or non-sports intrastate internet gambling.

These businesses charge a minimal fee, generally pennies, for the option to place a bid (Pay to Play) on the sale of a product. 

Regulated/illegal products or services

Any business which is illegal under applicable state or federal law including marijuana dispensaries that are legal under State law. This includes a prohibition on accounts titled or set up for the sole purpose of collecting taxes, fees or any proceeds from marijuana related activity.

Merchants that sell electronic cigarettes in a non-face to face environment. Includes devices, equipment and e-liquids used for electronic cigarettes.

Adult content, Child pornography and services

Includes adult video stores, adult bookstores, exotic dancing establishments, “peep” shows, phone sex lines, strip bars, adult novelties, adult pornographic pay per call services, escort services, etc. Includes, massage parlors, etc., where business owners permit sexual encounters.

Any merchant who provides products or services associated with actual or suggested child pornography. 

Hemp/CBD products

Any business that manufactures, distributes, or sells Hemp or CBD products or merchandise is prohibited.

Electronic cigarettes

Merchants that sell electronic cigarettes in a non-face to face environment. Includes devices, equipment and e-liquids used for electronic cigarettes.

Non Face-To-face Tobacco Products

Merchants that sell tobacco products via mail order, telephone order or Internet such as cigarettes or cigars.

Counterfeit Goods

Merchants selling counterfeit merchandise or goods where merchants are infringing on intellectual property rights of trade mark owners.

Certain Government Services

Merchants that: act as government postal offices that provide a variety of services such as accepting and processing packages and mail for delivery and selling postage stamps; process U.S. Federal Government transactions using an acquiring BIN associated with the Intra-Government Transfers (IGOTS) program; provide government to government services.

Telecommunication Services

Merchants that provide telecommunications services including local and long-distance telephone calls, calls placed through the use of magnetic stripe-reading telephones, and fax services. Merchants that provided periodic (e.g., monthly billing of telephone calls).

Deceptive Acts and Unregulated Businesses

Business Type Description
Direct Marketing Merchants that (i) typically offer their service via outbound telemarketing calls in which the merchant initiates direct contact with the consumer to generate a sale or (ii) sell information or content services (or goods sold through the service) that customers access via telephone or fax or over the internet. Also includes merchants that offer referral marketing automation services.
Telemedicine Cardholder receives services from a doctor (issuance of a prescription where the patient only sees the doctor via web cam or Skype). Excludes online consultation by licensed practitioners.
Lottery Merchants who are government-owned lotteries in the US Region that are registered with Visa to sell lottery tickets.
Schemes & clubs

Companies that charge a membership fee that in turn allows the cardholder to purchase future travel products or services at a discount.

Fortune Tellers

Includes fortune-tellers, tarot card readers, and mystics. 

Adoption Agencies – For Profit Agencies that take payment for the placement of babies with adoptive parents.
Drug paraphernalia Any business whose products are primarily intended for aiding the consumption of illegal drugs.
Protection Services Any company that sells protection, insurance, or registration service against things such as identity theft, internet fraud, credit card theft or fraud, etc.
Pseudo pharmaceuticals Wholesale distributors of prescription and non-prescription medicine, proprietary drugs, vitamins non face to face that do not meet Association Registration requirements.
High-Risk Cyberlocker Merchants who provide internet access including computer network, information services and internet service providers.
Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs Sale of prescription or dietary supplements that promise untested and/or unrealistic results.
Wonder Drugs

Sale of prescription or dietary supplements that promise untested and/or unrealistic results including but not limited to:

  • Non-prescription drugs that are not nationally available over the counter or not prescribed by a licensed practitioner with a brick and mortar establishment.
  • Banned dietary supplements by a Federal Regulatory Agency (i.e. steroids, diet pills, HCG weight loss product, Ephedrine, Ephedra, any extract of Ephedra, etc).
Games & Sellers

Merchants who operate arcades, amusement machines (such as video game machines, juke boxes, pinball machines, mechanical games, instant photograph booths, and similar types of amusement equipment).

Merchants that sell modification chips for gaming consoles like Xbox.

Games & Sellers

Merchants who operate arcades, amusement machines (such as video game machines, juke boxes, pinball machines, mechanical games, instant photograph booths, and similar types of amusement equipment).

Merchants that sell modification chips for gaming consoles like Xbox.

Delayed Delivery Merchants

With the exception of lifetime memberships for non-profit organizations, Delayed Delivery of greater than one (1) year on 25% or greater of their sales volume, or any portion of sales volume with delayed delivery exceeding five (5) years.

Travel

Business Type Description
Discount Travel Clubs

Companies that charge a membership fee that in turn allows the cardholder to purchase future travel products or services at a discount. May also consist of subscriptions to travel services and/or travel related newsletters. These businesses generally offer travel arrangements for future delivery, are not the end service provider, or own the real estate used to provide services.


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