Published policy, quoted
As of 2026-08-07, 2Checkout's published terms name 86 business categories as prohibited. The full list is below, grouped by status, with the exact policy language for each category. 2Checkout's Prohibited Product List/Acceptable Use Policy (last updated June 2021) is a flat list of outright prohibitions in two sections, Unacceptable Practices/Businesses and a Prohibited Products List, with no conditional or pre-approval tier. 2Checkout states the list is merely representative, not exhaustive, and that a business may be declined even if it does not appear on the list.
Source: 2Checkout Prohibited Product List/Acceptable Use Policy, captured 2026-08-07. Lists change, and 2Checkout's live page controls.
The list
2Checkout decides at its own discretion whether an offer misleads buyers, preys on them, or adds no real value, and declines those merchants.
“Sell any product, service or activity that is deceptive, misleading, predatory, prohibited by one or more Card Networks, or that provides no added benefit to the buyer (this being determined by 2Checkout in its sole discretion).”
Selling any kind of malicious or unwanted software, from viruses to spyware, is banned.
“Sell malware and including, but not limited to, computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest adware, crimeware, unauthorized rootkits, and other malicious and unsolicited software.”
If a government agency has flagged an activity as commonly fraudulent, 2Checkout will not process payments for it.
“Involve the sales of activities that are identified by government agencies as having a high likelihood of being fraudulent.”
New dropshipping businesses without an operating track record are not accepted.
“Start-up drop shippers”
Platforms that sell other merchants' products rather than their own are not accepted.
“Marketplaces and 3rd party businesses.”
Passing cardholder data to or from third parties as part of upsell or cross-sell arrangements is banned.
“Data pass (merchants up selling or cross selling products of other merchants and then sharing the cardholder data with the third party or receiving cardholder data from third parties).”
Businesses whose real owners cannot be identified, or that appear on the card networks' MATCH or VMAS risk lists or carry excessive disputes, are declined.
“Companies whereby it is impossible to identify the UBOs or the company/group structure does not provide a clear picture on the UBO's, ultimate beneficial owners. Listed on Match or VMAS, excessive disputes or fraud (or tactics to evade Card Brand excessive chargeback or fraud programs).”
Businesses selling investments in goods or services delivered more than four months out, such as wine or timber investment schemes, are banned.
“Companies involved in future services (merchants that provide investment on future maturity goods or services -greater than 4 months for delivery- with an intention of gaining return on investment (e.g., wines/spirits or timber investment))”
In-person door-to-door selling appears on 2Checkout's list of unacceptable marketing practices.
“Door-to-door sales”
Subscription offers sold through direct-marketing tactics are on the banned marketing-practices list.
“Direct Marketing-Subscription Sellers”
Advertising built around celebrity names or photos, a common false-endorsement tactic, is not allowed.
“Celebrity images/names used in product advertisement”
Academic paper-writing services and other cheating aids are banned.
“Essay/Thesis writing services or cheat schemes”
Businesses that take phone orders generated by postcard-style mailers are banned, while catalog and media advertising are treated differently.
“Inbound Telemarketing Companies that receive calls as the result of post cards or similar mailings (as opposed to catalog or media advertising)”
Cold-calling and fax-based selling are banned.
“Outbound telemarketing or facsimile”
Anything that helps or encourages people to break the law cannot be sold through 2Checkout.
“Products that promote or facilitate illegal activity”
Products marketed with healing, anti-aging, or spiritual-luck claims, a pattern common in supplement offers, are banned.
“Products promoting healing claims, health/anti-aging benefits, affiliations with any religious blessings and lucky charms”
Sites built around hate, harassment, or violence are banned.
“Sites that promote Hatred, Racism, Violence, Harassment, Abuse or Religious Persecution”
Selling social media engagement such as clicks, likes, or followers is banned, though 2Checkout carves out social media management services.
“Social Media Advertising, "click" farms (excluding Social Media Management)”
Deceptive checkout and offer tactics such as hidden terms, fake endorsements, and pre-checked opt-in boxes are banned.
“High Risk Marketing content (Hidden disclosures, Bogus claims & endorsements, Pre-checked opt in boxes, Refund/cancellation avoidance, Poorly disclosed negative options”
Free-trial offers that convert into automatic charges unless the customer takes action are banned, and this rule appears twice in the policy.
“Negative response marketing techniques by any type of seller (i.e. customer is automatically charged if they don't return the merchandise at the end of the free trial period)”
Offers built on large rebates or rewards paid out after the original purchase are banned.
“Sellers offering substantial rebates or special incentives that are awarded to the cardholder subsequent to the original purchase”
Using free gifts, prizes, or sweepstakes entries to push a purchase is banned.
“Offering a Free Gift, Prize or Contest/Sweepstakes entry as an inducement to purchase their product or service”
Sites that publish or sell people's personal details to embarrass them or trade on removal fears are banned.
“Showing or selling of personal information from third parties, where the primary purpose of showing or selling such content is to cause or raise concerns of reputational harm.”
MLM and network-marketing businesses are banned outright.
“Multi-level-marketing companies”
Selling degrees, diplomas, or certification exams that lack accreditation is banned.
“Non-Accredited Certification Test Exams, Academic Degrees, or Diplomas”
All adult businesses are banned, spanning websites and video, phone services, toys and fetish products, sexually oriented massage, and club memberships.
“Adult Entertainment; Incl. Adult bookstores, video stores, retailers of lingerie and sex aids/'toys'; Adult websites and content; Audio (phone sex, adult phone conversations); Fetish products, Massage parlors (sexually oriented); Gentleman's clubs, topless bars, and strip club's membership subscriptions; Any products on the internet containing graphic or nude content”
Airlines and air-carrier ticket sellers are not accepted.
“Air Carriers, Airlines”
Antique dealers, including repair and restoration services, are not accepted.
“Antique Shops-Sales, Repairs and Restoration Services”
Motor clubs and automobile membership associations are not accepted.
“Automobile Associations”
Car rental businesses are not accepted.
“Automobile Rental Agency”
Car and truck dealerships, including their service, parts, and leasing operations, are not accepted.
“Automobile and Truck Dealers - Sales, Service, Repairs, Parts, and Leasing”
Auto repair and service shops are not accepted.
“Automotive Service Shops”
Selling brand-name or trademarked goods without authorization from the rights holder is banned.
“Branded/Trademark protected products in the absence of reseller rights”
Taking prepayments for handyman, repair, electrical, or plumbing work is banned.
“Contractors (pre payments for handyman, repairs, electrician, plumbing)”
Courier and freight-forwarding businesses are not accepted.
“Courier Services - Air and Ground, Freight Forwarders”
Cruise line bookings are not accepted.
“Cruise Lines”
File-hosting and file-sharing services are banned, with the policy citing IP infringement and illegal content sharing.
“Cyberlockers, filesharing services, file storage services for pictures and movies (IP infringement and illegal content sharing)”
Dating businesses of every kind are banned, from mainstream matchmaking and matrimonial sites to escort and sexually oriented services.
“Dating services, including Companion/Escort services, Social Networking, sexually oriented services or aimed at "sex contact" or similar, or with sexually explicit pictures, Matrimonial sites, "Find-A-Bride"”
Embassy and consulate payments and visa-assistance services are not accepted.
“Embassy, Foreign Consulate, or Other Foreign Government, Visa assistance”
Pest control and disinfecting businesses are not accepted.
“Exterminating and Disinfecting Services”
Cryptocurrency and other virtual or digital currency products fall under 2Checkout's blanket ban on financial services.
“Financial services of any kind, including but not limited to Quasi Cash, Virtual, Digital, Crypto currency & services”
Selling stored-value cards or topping up digital wallets is banned as a financial service.
“Multi-purpose stored value cards, wallet top-up”
Extended warranty sellers are banned as a financial service.
“Extended warranty companies”
Payday lending is banned as a financial service.
“Payday loans”
Businesses selling financial advice are banned as a financial service.
“Financial Advice”
Debt collection and receivables-recovery firms are banned as a financial service.
“Collection agencies or firms involved in recovering/collecting past due receivables”
Credit repair and credit counseling businesses are banned as a financial service.
“Credit Counseling or Credit Repair Services”
Currency exchange services are banned as a financial service, and counterfeit currency is banned outright.
“Currency exchange or counterfeit currency”
Debt consolidation services are banned as a financial service.
“Debt consolidation”
Loan and mortgage modification services are banned as a financial service.
“Loan or Mortgage Modification”
Credit card protection and identity theft protection products are banned as a financial service.
“Credit card protection (including identity theft protection)”
Trading platforms of every kind are banned, covering futures, binary options, CFDs, forex, crypto options, and initial coin offerings.
“Securities trading: including but not limited to: Futures, (Binary) Options & Swaps. Contracts for difference (CFD), Foreign Exchange (Forex) currency options trading, Crypto-currency options trading, Initial coin offerings (ICOs)”
Automated fuel dispensing businesses are not accepted.
“Fuel Dispenser, Automated”
Order fulfillment and warehousing businesses are not accepted.
“Fulfillment Centers”
Fur retailers are not accepted.
“Furriers and Fur Shops”
Government service payments are not accepted.
“Government Services”
Selling images, logos, or designs that belong to someone else's protected IP is banned.
“Images, logos, designs of existing protected intellectual property”
Online pharmacies are banned, and the ban extends to pharmacy referral sites, medical benefits packages, and medical services or advice.
“Internet Pharmacies; Incl. Internet Pharmacy Referral Sites, Medical Benefits packages, Medical Services or Advice”
Marina and marine supply businesses are not accepted.
“Marinas, Marine Service/Supplies”
Selling market research reports is not accepted.
“Market Research Reports”
Medical benefits or discount-plan packages are banned, and they are also named under the internet pharmacies category.
“Medical benefits packages”
Medical devices and supplies that lack FDA or local regulatory approval cannot be sold.
“Medical devices (unapproved by FDA and local regulators), equipment, supplies (like Covid test kits)”
Metal service centers are not accepted.
“Metal Service Centers and Offices”
Movie theaters are not accepted.
“Motion Picture Theaters”
This sweeping ban covers drugs, steroids, paraphernalia, marijuana products, and kratom, and reaches everyday supplement categories like herbal supplements, protein powders, and weight-loss products.
“Narcotics, Steroids and Drug Paraphernalia and other controlled substances, or psychoactive products (e.g., Medical Marijuana, K2, salvia divinorum, nitrate inhalers, bath salts, synthetic cannabis, kratom, herbal smoking blends & herbal incense, anti-aging pills, sex nutrients, herbal supplements, protein powder supplements, (HCG) weight loss products)”
Selling online game access or in-game currency, coins, and items is banned.
“Online Gaming and in-game coins, currency, items purchases”
Gambling in all forms is banned, and 2Checkout groups lotteries, sweepstakes, sports forecasting, get-rich-quick schemes, pyramid schemes, and fortune tellers under the same category.
“Online Gambling; Incl. Prognostication, Lotteries, Raffles, Contests, and sweepstakes; Sports forecasting or odds-making; "Get-rich-quick" schemes (wealth management, income potential oriented); Chain Letters; Pyramid Schemes; Fortune Tellers”
Selling alcohol online is banned.
“Online sales of alcohol”
Online tobacco sales are banned, and the ban explicitly includes vapes and e-cigarettes.
“Online sales of tobacco eg. Cigar Stores and Stands, vapes, e-cigarettes or similar”
Optical retailers and eyeglass sellers are not accepted.
“Opticians, Optical Goods and Eyeglasses”
Charities, NGOs, and crowdfunding campaigns are not accepted.
“Organizations, Charitable and Social Service (incl. NGO's, crowdfunding)”
Religious organizations are not accepted.
“Organizations, Religious”
Orthopedic goods and prosthetics retailers are not accepted.
“Orthopedic Goods - Artificial Limb Stores”
Selling phone unlocking, jailbreaking tools, mod chips, or unlock codes is banned.
“Phone unlocking/"jailbreaking", modification chips, unlock codes”
Selling police or government IDs and equipment is banned.
“Police and other Government Identification and Equipment”
Prepaid phone card sellers are not accepted.
“Pre-paid phone card services”
Psychic, astrology, and fortune-telling services are banned.
“Psychic or astrological readings/consults”
Signal jamming and boosting devices cannot be sold.
“Radar and/or cellular jammers or boosters”
Real estate agencies and property managers are not accepted.
“Real Estate Agents and Managers”
Remote tech support and remote access services are banned.
“Remote Access Services, Technical Support Services”
Replicas, knockoffs, and unlicensed brand-name goods cannot be sold.
“Replica and/or unlicensed branded goods”
Used-goods retailers are not accepted.
“Second Hand Stores, Used Merchandise Stores”
Local passenger transit operators, including ferries, are not accepted.
“Transportation - Suburban and Local Commuter Passenger, including Ferries”
Veterinary practices are not accepted.
“Veterinary Services”
Video rental businesses are not accepted.
“Video Entertainment Rental Stores”
Weapons of any kind, including replicas, cannot be sold, which covers firearms sellers.
“Weapons or replica weapons”
Source: 2Checkout Prohibited Product List/Acceptable Use Policy, captured 2026-08-07. A category not named above is not an approval. Processors decline high-risk merchants case by case.
Is your business on this list?
If 2Checkout names your category, these pages explain how the same category gets underwritten and approved instead.
Stripe blanket-declines supplements. Get a processor that underwrites your category up front.
Categorically rejected at signup? Get a processor that underwrites adult ecommerce.
Book now, travel later raises chargeback exposure. Get a processor that underwrites it.
Stripe and PayPal decline crypto on sight. Get fiat acceptance underwritten for licensed MSBs.
Processors blanket-decline collection agencies. Get underwriting that does not.
Processors decline credit repair categorically. Get CROA-aware underwriting.
Mainstream processors demand certification day one. Get pharmacy-aware underwriting.
Stripe shuts down prescription telehealth. Get a processor that underwrites it.
CBD gets caught in the cannabis net. Get underwriting that knows the difference.
Processors decline kratom on FDA posture. Get underwriting that maps the legal patchwork.
Processors decline gambling on the MCC alone. Get underwriting built for placeable US models.
PACT Act complicates everything. Get vape-aware online underwriting.
Square declines firearms at signup. Get a gun-friendly online processor.
FAQ
2Checkout's Prohibited Product List covers two broad groups. One section bans practices and business models such as marketplaces, start-up drop shippers, multi-level marketing, and negative-option free trials. The other lists product categories it will not support, including adult entertainment, gambling, cryptocurrency and other financial services, online alcohol and tobacco or vape sales, internet pharmacies, weapons, and travel categories like airlines and cruise lines.
No. The policy says the list of prohibited products and services is merely representative, not exhaustive, and that a business may not be approved even if it does not appear on the list. 2Checkout also reserves the right to update the policy at any time without prior notice, so approval decisions rest with 2Checkout rather than with the published list alone.
The published list prohibits both. Adult entertainment is banned across the board, including adult websites and content, phone services, fetish products, and any internet products with graphic or nude content. Dating services are listed separately and the ban extends to companion and escort services, sexually oriented social networking, matrimonial sites, and similar offerings.
The list is unusually broad here. Alongside narcotics and controlled substances, 2Checkout's psychoactive-products category names everyday supplement lines such as herbal supplements, protein powder supplements, anti-aging pills, and HCG weight-loss products. A separate marketing rule also bans products promoted with healing claims or health and anti-aging benefits, so most supplement merchants fall outside 2Checkout's published acceptance criteria.
The policy states that 2Checkout may decline, suspend, or terminate your use of its services in accordance with the Prohibited Product List. By signing up for an account you agree not to accept payments for any prohibited products. Merchants in the listed categories generally avoid disruption by starting with a processor that accepts their industry.
Keep looking
On the list?
Midnight Payments approves high-risk businesses with category-aware underwriting, low or no monthly fees, no long-term contracts, and daily ACH settlement. And if a shutdown already happened, a MATCH or TMF listing still has options.
