Global Prohibited & Restricted Businesses
Effective from Dec 04, 2023
Some industries may not be allowed to work with Rapyd in order to meet our internal and external obligations. This is based on a range of factors including but not limited to the following:
- Applicable laws and regulations
- Requirements of Rapyd’s payment partners
- Rapyd’s internal risk assessment methodologies
The list below shows the products and services that are restricted or prohibited from using Rapyd services.
- Restricted – Rapyd will require additional documentation prior to onboarding.
- Prohibited – Business or service is prohibited from using Rapyd’s services. When entering into an agreement with Rapyd and using Rapyd’s services you are confirming that you are not offering or are affiliated to the products or services listed as prohibited.
The types of businesses listed are representative, but not exhaustive. Rapyd may in its sole discretion decide to restrict or prohibit any other categories, products or services not listed below. If you require additional information, please speak to your Rapyd representative or email us at [email protected].
| Prohibited: | |
| Adult | Pornography (child abuse, bestiality, rape, or any other non-consensual sexual behaviour)
Escort Services / Sale or advertising of sexual services Streaming including uploads of content that cannot be monitored or vetted Gentlemen’s clubs; Lap/erotic dancing / strip clubs |
| Affiliations & Organisations | Entities that are deemed to promote/condone abuse, hatred, racism, religious persecution, terrorism, violence, or offensive content |
| Counterfeit / Replica Goods / Intellectual Property infringement | Counterfeit goods span across multiple industries including, but not limited to:
Apparel and accessories Automobile parts Consumer goods, toys, and electronics Computer hardware/software Illicit streaming devices Video Games Modification chips to break encryption of products Pharmaceuticals Medical devices and tests e.g. dentist drill bits, contraception, etc. Tobacco products |
| Cyberlockers | Provides rewards, cash payments or other incentives. Provides URL codes to uploaders to facilitate sharing and the incorporation of such links on third party indexing or linking websites
File owners are typically anonymous, not required to provide identifying information and not aware of the identity of users who have access to or view their files |
| Financial Services | Loan modification / Credit repair
Debt Collection (uncollectable debt) Pawn shops |
| Gambling / Gaming | Transactions from unlicensed financial product or trading platforms are prohibited, incorporating:
Contracts for Difference Binary options and synonymous products Rolling spot forex trading Financial spread betting Illegal or miscoded gambling |
| High Pressure Sales | Unsolicited vendors with immediate payment required or threat of price increases
Targeting of vulnerable customers and preying on worries and concerns |
| Illegal Activity | Any illegal product and or service is prohibited
Products sold must be legal in both the merchant’s jurisdiction and the consumers jurisdiction if goods are despatched cross border Illegal products / services (list below is not exhaustive); Sites selling pharmaceuticals without a prescription (cancer drugs, steroids, etc.) Peripheral products / services that support illegal activities (drug paraphernalia including seeds for cannabis plants etc.) Wildlife Trade Mail Order Brides Poisonous or hazardous materials Surrogacy services Trade of weapons, ammunitions, military armaments, explosive devices, and firearm parts Human remains and body parts Human trafficking Child exploitation |
| Investment Opportunities | Pyramid / Ponzi type schemes with reliance upon a continual stream of new participants.
Investment schemes that offer or promise high rewards Get rich quick schemes |
| Lifetime Products | One off payments for e.g.
Timeshares Lifetime Guarantees Lifetime Memberships / clubs |
| Medical Diagnostics / Devices | Sale of products that have not been approved or verified by an appropriate regulatory body |
| Nutraceuticals | Sale of products that make health claims, or performance enhancements, that have not been approved or verified by an appropriate regulatory body |
| Penny Auctions | Purchase of bid credits
Open ended auctions Repeat / automated bids |
| Sanctions | Goods and services likely to breach regulatory sanctions and embargoes; customers and or jurisdictions |
| Shell Banks and Companies / Bearer shares | Banks or companies established to obscure the origin of funds |
| Potentially Deceptive Marketing | Merchants engaged in any form of deceptive marketing that may have the effect of confusing, misleading, or defrauding cardholders, including but not limited to:
Processing transactions without the explicit consent of the cardholder Making indirect or direct false claims about a product or service Failing to disclose material information about a product or service |
| Restricted: | |
| Adult | Adult entertainment, website or contents including but not limited to:
Video texting or paid subscriptions to live-streaming where it involves adult erotic content or conversations Sex toy shops Male or female sexual enhancement supplements or products |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) | CBD related products and businesses |
| Financial Services | Financial services, including but not limited to:
Money transmitters / money services businesses Investment and brokerage services Insurance services lending services Buy NowPay Later services Payroll servicesNeobanks / challenger banks Binary Options Cryptocurrency / virtual currency service providers |
| Gaming | Games of skill where participants receive cash or cash-equivalent prizes |
| Video game or virtual world credits | |
| Gambling | Fantasy sports leagues, e-sports gaming or tournaments |
| Gambling providers or transactions including games of chance | |
| Government owned lotteries | |
| Marketing | Multi-Level Marketing; Affiliate Marketing |
| Not-For-Profit | Charities or not-for-profit organizations |
| Crowdfunding | |
| Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices and Telemedicine |
Drugs and pharmaceuticals (drugs, drug proprietaries, druggist sundries, drug stores, pharmacies) |
| Regulated medical devices | |
| Private medical practice and/or online doctor consultation (E-doctor) | |
| Tobacco | Tobacco / cigar / electronic cigarette / nicotine content products |
| Travel | Airlines |
| Online Travel Aggregators (OTAs) | |
| Ticketing agencies | |
| Others | Gig economy |
| Gold and precious metal dealers | |
| Import / Export businesses | |
| Marketplaces | |
| Online dating services | |
| Products or services related to religious, political, or social campaigning | |
| Remote computer assistance | |
| Maritime/logistics/supply chain | |
| Signal jammers/blockers that interfere with cellular/communication devices | |
| Tattoo parlors | |
| E-learning, online tuition | |
| Bankruptcy lawyers | |
| Livestreaming | |
| Auctions | |