Restricted Businesses

Lopay has a number of restricted businesses imposed through Network Rules or the requirements of our Financial Services Providers. In certain cases, businesses listed below may be eligible for processing with explicit prior approval from our payment processor, Stripe.

It is prohibited to use the Service for any dealings, engagement, or sale of goods/services linked directly or indirectly with jurisdictions we have deemed high risk, such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Crimea Region, and Syria.

Businesses that offer illegal products or services are never eligible to use the Lopay. The types of businesses listed below are representative, but not exhaustive:

Investment & credit services

Securities brokers; mortgage consulting or debt reduction services; credit counselling or repair; real estate opportunities; lending instruments

Money and legal services

Money transmitters, check cashing, wire transfers, money orders; currency exchanges or dealers; bail bonds; collections agencies; law firms collecting funds for any purpose other than to pay fees owed to the firm for services provided by the firm (e.g., firms cannot use Stripe to hold client funds, collection or settlement amounts, disputed funds, etc.)

Virtual currency or stored value

Virtual currency that can be monetized, resold, or converted to physical or digital products and services or otherwise exit the virtual world (e.g., Bitcoin); sale of stored value or credits maintained, accepted and issued by anyone other than the seller

Intellectual property or proprietary rights infringement

Sales, distribution, or access to counterfeit music, movies, software, or other licensed materials without the appropriate authorization from the rights holder; any product or service that directly infringes or facilitates infringement upon the trademark, patent, copyright, trade secrets, or proprietary or privacy rights of any third party; use of Stripe or Lopay intellectual property without express consent from Lopay or Stripe; use of the Lopay or Stripe name or logo including use of Lopay or Stripe trade or service marks inconsistent with the Stripe Marks Usage Agreement or Lopay Marks Usage Agreement, or in a manner that otherwise harms Lopay, Stripe or the Stripe or Lopay brand; any action that implies an untrue endorsement by or affiliation with Stripe

Counterfeit or unauthorized goods

Unauthorized sale or resale of brand name or designer products or services; sale of goods or services that are illegally imported or exported

Gambling

Lotteries; bidding fee auctions; sports forecasting or odds making; fantasy sports leagues with cash prizes; internet gaming; contests; sweepstakes; games of chance

Regulated or illegal products or services

Cannabis dispensaries and related businesses; sale of products containing cannabis/ marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD), and their derivatives; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and e-liquid; online pharmacies; prescription-only products including card-not-present pharmaceuticals; peptides and research chemicals; fake references or ID-providing services; age restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis; goods or services, the sale of which is illegal under applicable law in the jurisdictions to which your business is targeted or directed

Adult content and services

Pornography and other obscene materials (including literature, imagery and other media); sites offering any sexually-related services such as prostitution, escorts, pay-per view, adult live chat features

“Get rich quick” schemes

Investment opportunities or other services that promise high rewards

Mug shot publication or pay-to-remove sites

Platforms that facilitate the publication and removal of content (such as mug shots), where the primary purpose of posting such content is to cause or raise concerns of reputational harm

No-value-added services

Sale or resale of a service without added benefit to the buyer; resale of government offerings without authorization or added value; sites that we determine in our sole discretion to be unfair, deceptive, or predatory towards consumers

Aggregation of products or services that are otherwise restricted by our financial partners

Engaging in any form of licensed or unlicensed aggregation of funds owed to third parties, factoring, or other activities intended to obfuscate the origin of funds

Drug paraphernalia

Any equipment designed for making or using drugs, such as bongs, vaporizers, and hookahs

High risk businesses

Bankruptcy lawyers; computer technical support; psychic services; travel reservation services and clubs; airlines; cruises; timeshares; prepaid phone cards, phone services, and cell phones; telemarketing, telecommunications equipment and telephone sales; drop shipping; forwarding brokers; negative response marketing; credit card and identity theft protection; the use of credit to pay for lending services; any businesses that we believe poses elevated financial risk, legal liability, or violates card network or bank policies; any business or organization that a. engages in, encourages, promotes or celebrates unlawful violence or physical harm to persons or property, or b. engages in, encourages, promotes or celebrates unlawful violence toward any group based on race, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other immutable characteristic.

Multi-level marketing

Pyramid schemes, network marketing, and referral marketing programs

Pseudo pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals and other products that make health claims that have not been approved or verified by the applicable local and/or national regulatory body, or make specific claims about weight loss or improved sexual performance

Social media activity

Sale of Twitter followers, Facebook likes, YouTube views, and other forms of social media activity

Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs

Sale of a legal substance that provides the same effect as an illegal drug (e.g., salvia, kratom)

Video game or virtual world credits

Sale of in-game currency or game items, unless the merchant is the operator of the virtual world

Use of Lopay in a manner inconsistent with its intended use or as expressly prohibited in the Lopay Services Agreement

Use of Lopay principally as a virtual terminal (e.g., submitting card transactions by manually inputting card information); processing where there is no bona fide good or service sold, or donation accepted; card testing; evasion of card network chargeback monitoring programs; sharing cardholder information with another merchant for payment cross-sell product or service