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Declined by Stripe, Square or PayPal? Here is what their own lists say.

Three excellent processors, built for businesses that are not yours. Below, their published policies on twenty restricted categories — quoted verbatim, dated, linked — next to what we do with each one. No anecdotes and no reading between lines.

Read on

2026-09-03

Policies change. Every quote links to its source so you can check it against today’s version, and each source shows the date it was last revised.

How to read it

Four words, four different answers.

Prohibited
Named on their list as not allowed. The clearest answer you can get, and the one to stop applying against.
Restricted · approval required
Named as needing approval, extra due diligence or a conversation with sales. Possible, on their terms, at their pace.
Allowed with conditions
The category is allowed but a specific structure inside it is prohibited. Whether you fit depends on how your offer is built.
Not listed
Not named either way. This is not an approval — it means the decision moves to underwriting, where a catch-all clause usually applies.

Twenty categories

Their lists, and ours.

Each row is one of the industries our acquiring partners write. Their columns quote their documents. Our column says which of three things happens to your file — and links to the page that explains it.

CBD and hemp

Regulated products

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“CBD products containing only negligible amounts of THC, per local limits”

CBD edibles and products above the local THC limit are listed as prohibited.

Square

Restricted · approval required

“Hemp and hemp-derived CBD products that have less than 0.3% THC in all states excluding Idaho and South Dakota.”

By application to Square's CBD program, not under the Payment Terms. No hemp flower; items cannot make health claims.

Square Community, official answer · 2019-10-03

PayPal

Not listed

Not named. The policy prohibits 'controlled substances or other products that present a risk to consumer safety'.

Dash Process

Standard program

Written by our acquiring partner against lab documentation and claims language, inside a program that names the category.

What we ask for

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“Tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, and e-liquid sold in accordance with applicable law”

Square

Prohibited

“internet/mail order/telephone order of age restricted products (e.g., tobacco)”

Remote sale is what the list names; in-person is not addressed here.

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Non-cigarette tobacco products, e-cigarettes, cigars”

Cigarettes themselves are listed as prohibited.

Dash Process

Case by case

Standard program for compliant sellers; a specialist acquirer where the product mix requires it.

What we ask for

Firearms and ammunition

Regulated products

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“Legal firearms and other weapons (Limited availability: Please contact our sales team if you would like to work with Stripe.)”

Square

Prohibited

“sales of (i) firearms, firearm parts or hardware, and ammunition”

PayPal

Prohibited

“ammunition, firearms, or certain firearm parts or accessories”

Dash Process

Standard program

Written as stated policy, not by exception. FFL and restricted-state logic configured at the gateway.

What we ask for

Stripe

Prohibited

“Pseudo-pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals that are not safe or make harmful claims”

Listed under Prohibited, qualified by safety and claims.

Square

Not listed

Not named. §3 includes a catch-all for 'high-risk products and services'.

PayPal

Not listed

Not named. 'Steroids, certain controlled substances or other products that present a risk to consumer safety' are prohibited.

Dash Process

Standard program

Straight-sale and continuity structures both written, with funnel and claims review before the file is presented.

What we ask for

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“Telemedicine and telehealth services”

'Online pharmacies, including SaaS platforms' are also listed as restricted.

Square

Prohibited

“internet/mail order/telephone order pharmacies or pharmacy referral services”

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Telemedicine Services — Providing medical services and consultations in a remote fashion.”

'Prescription Items' also require pre-approval.

Dash Process

Case by case

Standard program for telehealth; a specialist acquirer where the prescribing model requires it.

What we ask for

Stripe

Prohibited

“Incorrectly labeled research chemicals”

Properly labeled compounds are not named either way.

Square

Not listed

Not named. §3 includes a catch-all for 'high-risk products and services'.

PayPal

Not listed

Not named. 'Certain controlled substances' are prohibited.

Dash Process

Standard program

Written against a research-compound policy, with catalog and marketing review first.

What we ask for

Debt collection

Financial services

Stripe

Prohibited

“Debt collection agencies”

Square

Prohibited

“bankruptcy attorneys or collection agencies engaged in the collection of debt”

PayPal

Not listed

Not named. 'Debt settlement services' are prohibited.

Dash Process

Specialist acquirer

A specialist acquirer that writes collections as stated policy. One dashboard, one relationship.

What we ask for

Credit repair

Financial services

Stripe

Prohibited

“Credit monitoring, credit repair, and counseling services”

Square

Prohibited

“credit counseling or credit repair agencies”

PayPal

Prohibited

“certain credit repair, debt settlement services, credit transactions or insurance activities”

Dash Process

Standard program

Compliant arrears and performance billing models written; ACH offered for monthly fees.

What we ask for

Forex and digital assets

Financial services

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“Cryptocurrency (for example, Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Cardano, etc.) exchanges and wallets”

Money service businesses are restricted; mining, staking and ICOs are prohibited.

Square

Prohibited

“sales of money-orders or foreign currency”

Cryptocurrency is not named in §3.

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Any digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, transferred, or used for payment”

Forex and brokerage are also listed as requiring pre-approval.

Dash Process

Specialist acquirer

Regulated MSB activity goes to a specialist acquirer. Card funding, ACH and wire on one reporting surface.

What we ask for

Bail bonds

Financial services

Stripe

Prohibited

“Bail bonds”

Square

Not listed

Not named. 'Bankruptcy attorneys' are the legal service the list does name.

PayPal

Not listed

Dash Process

Standard program

Phone, link and virtual-terminal acceptance with signed cardholder authorization built in.

What we ask for

Subscription and continuity

Recurring & direct response

Stripe

Allowed with conditions

“Negative option marketing, negative option membership clubs, and reduced price trials with unclear or hidden pricing”

Recurring billing is supported; the structures quoted are prohibited.

Square

Prohibited

“direct marketing or subscription offers or services”

PayPal

Not listed

Not named.

Dash Process

Standard program

Continuity, trials and negative option written on their disclosure and cancel paths, not banned by structure.

What we ask for

Direct response marketing

Recurring & direct response

Stripe

Prohibited

“Negative option marketing, negative option membership clubs, and reduced price trials with unclear or hidden pricing”

'Telemarketing' is also listed as prohibited.

Square

Prohibited

“infomercial sales”

'Up-sell merchants' and 'inbound or outbound telemarketers' are also listed.

PayPal

Not listed

Not named. 'Get rich quick' schemes are prohibited.

Dash Process

Standard program

Multi-MID structures with load balancing, per-offer descriptors, and funnel review before submission.

What we ask for

Multi-level marketing

Recurring & direct response

Stripe

Prohibited

“Multilevel marketing services offering commission or recruitment-based sales”

Square

Prohibited

“unauthorized multi-level marketing businesses”

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Multilevel Marketing and Direct Selling Organizations”

'Certain multi-level marketing programs' are separately prohibited.

Dash Process

Standard program

Distributor and retail flows on separate MIDs with distinct descriptors; autoship with account updater.

What we ask for

Coaching and digital products

Recurring & direct response

Stripe

Not listed

Not named. 'Get rich quick' schemes and businesses that 'make outrageous claims' are prohibited.

Square

Not listed

Not named. 'Up-sell merchants' and 'membership clubs' are listed.

PayPal

Not listed

Not named. 'Get rich quick' schemes are prohibited.

Dash Process

Standard program

High-ticket approval with limits set to your real average, installment billing, and evidence capture from onboarding.

What we ask for

Online dating

Adult & dating

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“Online dating and matchmaking services”

Square

Not listed

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Any dating services that enable individuals to find and introduce themselves to new people”

Dash Process

Standard program

Subscription billing with clear renewal notice and self-service cancellation; discreet descriptors.

What we ask for

Adult

Adult & dating

Stripe

Prohibited

“Pornography and other mature audience content (including literature, imagery, and other media) designed for the purpose of sexual gratification”

Square

Prohibited

“adult entertainment oriented products or services (in any medium, including internet, telephone, or printed material)”

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Any adult content delivered digitally including video on demand (VOD) and web-cam activities”

'Certain sexually oriented materials or services' are separately prohibited.

Dash Process

Specialist acquirer

A specialist acquirer registered under the relevant brand programs; registration handled as part of the account.

What we ask for

Travel and ticketing

Travel & high ticket

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“Travel reservation services and clubs”

'Commercial airlines and cruises' and 'Timeshare services' are listed as prohibited.

Square

Not listed

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Airlines and scheduled or non-scheduled charters/jets/air taxi operators.”

Named for airlines and charters; other travel is not named.

Dash Process

Standard program

Written around future-delivery reserve structures, with deposit-and-balance billing on the gateway.

What we ask for

High-ticket retail

Travel & high ticket

Stripe

Restricted · approval required

“High-value goods, precious metals and stones”

Named for precious metals and stones; other high-ticket goods are not named.

Square

Not listed

PayPal

Restricted · approval required

“Operating as a dealer in jewels, precious metals and stones.”

Named for jewels and precious metals; other high-ticket goods are not named.

Dash Process

Standard program

Per-transaction limits set to your actual high end, linked deposit-and-balance authorizations, delivery evidence capture.

What we ask for

Moving and relocation

Travel & high ticket

Stripe

Not listed

Square

Not listed

PayPal

Not listed

Dash Process

Standard program

Card and ACH for deposits, balances and claims, with signed-estimate capture that carries into representment.

What we ask for

E-commerce

Recurring & direct response

Stripe

Not listed

Square

Not listed

PayPal

Not listed

Dash Process

Standard program

Volume caps set against real forecasts, multiple MIDs for headroom, fraud rules configured to your orders.

What we ask for

The pattern

It is the category, not your business.

Their lists are about risk appetite, not about you

A prohibited category is a decision the processor made before you applied. Your compliance, your ratio and your history do not enter into it, which is why the decline arrives fast and without a reason you can act on.

'Not listed' is the one to be careful with

It reads as permission and works as a delay. The application goes to underwriting, a catch-all clause for high-risk products applies, and the answer is the same as prohibited — a few weeks later, sometimes after you have started processing.

A program that names your category is the fix

Our acquiring partners write these categories because their programs are built to. Where one needs a specialist acquirer we say so on the first call and name who writes it. Either way you hear a straight answer before documents, not after.

Sources and method

Where every quote comes from.

We quote the current public document, name the date it says it was last revised, and record the date we read it. Nothing on this page comes from a support ticket, a sales call or a forum.
Stripe
Prohibited and Restricted Businesses
Revised 2026-05-13 · read 2026-09-03
Square
Payment Terms, §3 Unsupported Industries
Revised 2026-07-30 · read 2026-09-03
PayPal
Acceptable Use Policy
Revised 2022-10-29 · read 2026-09-03

Stripe, Square and PayPal are trademarks of their respective owners. Dash Process is not affiliated with any of them, and this page describes their published policies, not their private underwriting decisions. Where a list is qualified — by claims, by labeling, by channel — we quote the qualification rather than rounding it to a yes or a no.

If a quote here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it and update the dates. Where each category stands with us, with an effective date, is on Program boundaries.

Read

Find out which of the three answers is yours.

Your industry and monthly volume are enough for us to say whether our standard program writes the category, a specialist acquirer does, or nobody does yet — before you send a document.