Square Prohibited & Restricted Businesses List

Square will not process payments for anything unlawful, whether it is an activity or a product.

Products whose main use is to support illegal activity, such as drug paraphernalia, cannot be sold through Square.

Businesses that charge membership dues for buying clubs or similar member programs cannot use Square for those charges.

Companies that help consumers repair credit or manage debt through counseling cannot take payments on Square.

Subscription services that monitor credit or protect against identity theft are banned from Square processing.

Businesses built around direct marketing campaigns or subscription-style offers cannot run those sales through Square.

Products sold through infomercials and other direct-response TV offers cannot be processed with Square.

Pharmacies that sell medication online, by mail, or by phone after a remote consultation, and services that refer patients to them, cannot use Square.

MLM businesses that lack proper authorization are banned from taking payments through Square.

Businesses that sell over the phone, whether they place the calls or receive them, cannot process with Square.

Sellers of prepaid calling cards and prepaid phone service cannot accept those payments on Square.

Business models that rely on rebates to drive purchases are not supported by Square.

Merchants whose model depends on aggressive add-on or up-sell offers cannot use Square.

Services that collect and pass along bill payments on behalf of other people cannot run on Square.

All forms of betting, from lottery tickets and sports wagers to casino chips and race betting, are banned on Square.

Handing out cash to customers, whether over the counter or through a machine, cannot be processed with Square.

Selling financial products such as prepaid cards, checks, or insurance is off-limits on Square.

Businesses that sell money orders or exchange foreign currency cannot take those payments through Square.

Wire transfer and money order transmission services are banned from Square processing.

Square reserves a broad catch-all ban on anything it considers high risk, and it names telemarketing sales as an example.

Pay-at-the-pump fuel sales cannot be processed through Square.

Adult content and adult entertainment businesses are banned on Square regardless of format, whether online, by phone, or in print.

Gun dealers, ammunition sellers, and merchants selling other weapons designed to injure cannot use Square.

Selling age-restricted products such as tobacco online, by mail, or by phone is banned, which also sweeps in online vape and e-cigarette sales.

Occult products and services, a category that typically includes psychic and fortune-telling offerings, cannot be sold through Square.

Products that promote hate or cause harm are banned from Square processing.

Escort and companionship services cannot accept payments through Square.

Debt collection agencies and bankruptcy law practices cannot take client payments through Square.

Government bodies at any level cannot use Square's payment services.

Campaigns, PACs, and parties cannot collect political donations through Square.

Non-profits with regular business or charitable property in California cannot collect donations through Square.

Even a merchant whose Square account handles only clean sales is barred if they are connected to another business selling goods Square treats as illegal, and Square names cannabis as its example.