Published policy, quoted
As of 2026-08-07, Wise's published terms name 28 business categories as prohibited and 6 as restricted. The full list is below, grouped by status, with the exact policy language for each category. Wise is a money-transfer and business-account provider, not a card acquirer, and its Acceptable Use Policy governs what Wise accounts and transfers can be used for rather than card acceptance. Unsupported businesses appear in a single flat, non-exhaustive list grouped into three sections (regulated or illegal products, financial services, and other activities), and Wise notes the restrictions do not apply to lawful Wise Multi-Currency Card transactions.
Source: Acceptable Use Policy, captured 2026-08-07. Lists change, and Wise's live page controls.
The list
Wise does not support adult businesses of any kind, covering explicit content, sexual services, and adult venues alike.
“Pornography and other visual content depicting explicitly sexual acts. Services of sexual nature (webcam shows, live chats, prostitution, escorts, etc). Sexually oriented establishments (massage parlors, strip clubs, gentleman’s clubs).”
Businesses selling tobacco products are on Wise's unsupported list with no stated exceptions.
“Tobacco products.”
Wise does not support cannabis businesses even where the trade is legal, and the ban explicitly extends to CBD products.
“Products containing CBD. Any other products or services related to legal marijuana trade.”
Sellers of nootropics, kratom and similar botanicals, steroids, or peptides cannot use Wise for those sales.
“Smart drugs, nootropic supplements. Substances that provide similar effects as illegal drugs (kratom, khat, etc.) Anabolic steroids and peptides.”
Head shops and other sellers of equipment for making, using, or hiding drugs are not supported.
“Any equipment, product, or material which is intended for making, using, or concealing drugs”
Online pharmacies, prescription drug sellers, and supplement businesses making unapproved health claims are all unsupported, and retail pharmaceutical sales cannot be paid for through Wise.
“Nutraceuticals, pseudo-pharmaceuticals, and other products which make unreasonable health claims not approved or verified by the applicable regulatory body. Online pharmacies. Prescription-only pharmaceutical drugs. Payments for the sale of pharmaceutical products to retail customers are not supported.”
Businesses trading in commodity chemicals are on the unsupported list.
“Commodity chemicals.”
Selling knockoffs, unauthorized brand-name goods, or illegally imported or exported products is not supported.
“Unauthorised sale of designer and/or brand products. Sale of illegally imported or exported goods.”
Because the United States is on Wise's country list, US gambling businesses of any type are shut out, and the policy separately bans lotteries, fantasy sports with cash prizes, games of chance with cash prizes, and unauthorized in-game currency sales while reserving discretion over anything else gambling-related.
“Any type of gambling payments or businesses related to Canada, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, the United States of America, or the United Arab Emirates.”
Products or services that infringe someone else's intellectual property or privacy rights, or help others do so, are not supported.
“Any product or service that directly infringes or facilitates infringement upon the copyright, patent, trademark, trade secrets, proprietary, or privacy rights of any third party.”
Wise declines any business selling something that is not legal where it is being sold, whatever the category.
“Products and services which are not legal in the jurisdiction they are being offered in.”
Binary options businesses are on the unsupported list with no stated exceptions.
“Binary options.”
Escrow businesses are not supported, and Wise specifically bans using its accounts to hold funds in escrow for others.
“Using Wise Borderless account as an escrow account.”
Crypto exchanges and trading businesses cannot use Wise, and payments made to buy cryptocurrency are also unsupported.
“Companies involved in the exchange or trading of cryptocurrencies, or any other virtual currencies. Including payments for the purpose of purchasing cryptocurrencies.”
Money transmitters, currency exchangers, check cashers, and payment processors cannot run their business through Wise.
“Operating a bureau de change or currency exchange service. Transmitting money, or any representation of monetary value, on behalf of third parties. Cashing cheques. Payment processing.”
Retail forex, contracts-for-difference, and options trading platforms are on the unsupported list.
“Platforms allowing the trading and/or exchanging of FX/CFD/options.”
Banks with no physical presence or real operations are not supported.
“Shell banks.”
Superannuation funds, a type of retirement fund, are on the unsupported list.
“Superannuation funds.”
Syndicates are listed as unsupported, and the policy does not define the term further.
“Syndicates.”
Any financial-services business that lacks a required license is not supported.
“Any other financial services operating without a licence where one is required.”
Internet TV and internet-calling service providers are on the unsupported list with no stated exceptions.
“IPTV and VOIP services.”
Anyone subject to international sanctions, or doing business with sanctioned parties or countries, cannot use Wise.
“Individuals, entities, or countries subject to international sanctions.”
Firearms and other weapons sellers are unsupported, including historic weapons and any goods or services intended for military use.
“Weapons (including weapons of historic significance), military software, or any other goods or services intended for military use.”
Selling restricted or endangered animals, or products made from them, is not supported.
“Trade of restricted and/or endangered animal species and products derived from them.”
MLM companies, pyramid and get-rich-quick schemes, referral-marketing operations, and anything else promising outsized rewards are all unsupported.
“Multi-level marketing, pyramid schemes, get rich quick schemes, referral marketing. Including any other services promising unreasonably high rewards.”
This ban targets oil, gas, and shipping companies based in the United Arab Emirates and activities related to them.
“The United Arab Emirates-based oil, gas and shipping companies, as well as related activities.”
Any business with direct or indirect ties to Cuba is not supported.
“Businesses with relations or activity directly or indirectly linked to Cuba.”
Surrogacy businesses are on the unsupported list with no stated exceptions.
“Surrogacy businesses.”
The stated ban targets retail alcohol sales specifically, so a business selling alcohol directly to consumers cannot take those payments through Wise.
“Payments for the sale of alcohol to retail customers are not supported.”
US-based marketplaces are not caught by this rule, which only excludes marketplace businesses based outside the US and Europe.
“Marketplaces from countries outside of European Economic Area and/or European Union or the United States.”
The ban applies to trust and corporate service providers involved in the three listed activities, such as opening accounts for other businesses or using nominees to hide ownership, rather than to every provider in the sector.
“Opening accounts on behalf of other businesses. Offshore company formation. Using nominee directors and/or shareholders to obscure company ownership.”
US-based registered nonprofits fall inside Wise's supported countries, but unregistered charities are declined no matter where they are based.
“Nonprofit organisations and charities from countries outside of Canada, European Economic Area and/or European Union, Switzerland, USA, Australia, or New Zealand. Unregistered charities are not supported from any regions.”
The rule only excludes trusts and foundations based outside the listed countries, so US-based ones are not caught by it.
“Trusts and foundations from countries outside of Canada, European Economic Area and/or European Union, Switzerland, USA, Australia, or New Zealand.”
Some currencies carry extra limits that Wise documents in its FAQ pages rather than in this policy, so support can vary by currency.
“Currency-based restrictions as outlined in various FAQ pages.”
Source: 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 Wise names your category, these pages explain how the same category gets underwritten and approved instead.
Categorically rejected at signup? Get a processor that underwrites adult ecommerce.
CBD gets caught in the cannabis net. Get underwriting that knows the difference.
Processors decline research peptides on category and claim risk. Get underwriting that reviews the labeling posture.
Processors decline kratom on FDA posture. Get underwriting that maps the legal patchwork.
Mainstream processors demand certification day one. Get pharmacy-aware underwriting.
Stripe blanket-declines supplements. Get a processor that underwrites your category up front.
Processors decline gambling on the MCC alone. Get underwriting built for placeable US models.
Stripe and PayPal decline crypto on sight. Get fiat acceptance underwritten for licensed MSBs.
Square declines firearms at signup. Get a gun-friendly online processor.
FAQ
No. Wise's Acceptable Use Policy lists cannabis as an unsupported category and specifically calls out products containing CBD, along with any other products or services related to the legal marijuana trade. A CBD seller should expect Wise to decline or close the account and should look at high-risk providers that state in writing that they accept CBD.
No. Wise provides money transfers and multi-currency business accounts, not card acquiring, and its policy even lists third-party payment processing as an unsupported money-service activity. You can receive payouts from e-commerce and freelancer platforms into a Wise business account, but to accept card payments directly you need a merchant account from an acquirer or payment processor.
The policy says Wise alone determines whether a breach occurred and may withdraw your right to use its services immediately, temporarily, or permanently, suspend or cancel payment orders, issue warnings, take legal action, or report information to law enforcement. If your business falls into an unsupported category, it is safer to arrange an alternative provider before relying on Wise for operating funds.
No. Wise's policy prohibits any type of gambling payments or businesses related to a list of countries that includes the United States, and it separately lists lotteries, fantasy sports with cash prizes, and games of chance with cash prizes as unsupported. Wise also reserves discretion to decline any other gambling-related business.
No. The policy lists companies involved in the exchange or trading of cryptocurrencies or other virtual currencies as unsupported, including payments made for the purpose of purchasing cryptocurrencies. Crypto businesses generally need banking and processing partners that specialize in digital-asset risk.
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.
