Certain projects and business models may be excluded from payment processing or supported only to a limited extent, even if they are legal in their respective jurisdictions and do not themselves violate Startnext’s guidelines. Factors that determine this include, among others, regulatory requirements, the requirements of our financial partners, and the current classification by our payment service provider, Stripe.
Why can't my company or project be approved even though it has a legal business model?
Even so, a legitimate business model may be excluded from payment processing or supported only to a limited extent. Reasons for this may include regulations applicable to Stripe as a financial infrastructure and payment service provider, requirements set by financial partners, or the risk potential as assessed by Stripe.
You can find the current classification in Stripe's list of restricted and prohibited businesses. Permissibility may depend on the specific business model, the products or services offered, and the region.
What restrictions apply to adult content and services?
Our payment service provider, Stripe, does not currently support businesses that sell or offer adult content or services, even if such content or services are legal in the jurisdiction where they are sold. Reasons for this include regulatory requirements, requirements from financial partners, and the risk assessed by Stripe.
The restrictions may apply, among other things, to:
- Pornography and other sexually explicit material, including literature, images, and other media depicting nudity or explicit sexual acts,
- sexual services such as prostitution or escort services,
- Pay-per-view offerings and live chats for adults,
- sexually oriented articles,
- Adult video stores,
- sexually oriented massage parlors, gentlemen’s clubs, topless bars, and strip clubs,
- sexually oriented dating services.
Stripe's current list of restricted and prohibited businesses is authoritative.
What financial services does Stripe not support?
Stripe cannot support many financial services businesses. These may include investment and credit services, money transfers, bill payments, crowdfunding services, digital wallets, and cryptocurrency-related businesses—such as crypto mining equipment, initial coin offerings, and the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies.
Stripe's current list of restricted and prohibited businesses is authoritative.
Which gambling offerings may be excluded?
Stripe may exclude certain gambling offerings even if they are legal in the respective region. In addition to traditional casinos, these may include skill-based and games of chance with cash prizes, sweepstakes, paid auctions, prediction games, and raffles.
If your account was rejected due to a violation of gambling restrictions, even though you classify your offering differently, check the current list of restricted and prohibited businesses and clarify the specific case with Stripe.
What restrictions apply to cannabis, CBD, and services for the cannabis industry?
Stripe currently cannot support the sale of marijuana or products containing cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This may also include oils, tinctures, cannabis-based topical products, and services such as massages that involve the use of such products. This restriction may apply even if such products are legal in a particular region.
If you sell other products in addition to those containing CBD, payment processing for the unaffected products may be possible after a re-evaluation. Remove the prohibited items and reply to the latest Stripe email regarding the eligibility of your business, or contact Stripe Support through their website.
Services for the cannabis industry may be subject to regional restrictions. If more than 25% of your marketing, consulting, or specialized Software-as-a-Service offerings are directed toward marijuana sellers or products, or if you organize conferences or trade shows focused on cannabis, these services may only be offered in Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom, according to Stripe’s guidelines. Please review these conditions again against the current Stripe rules before making a decision.
What restrictions apply to pharmacies and pharmaceutical products?
An online pharmacy sells, distributes, or acts as an intermediary for prescription drugs or drugs available only at pharmacies, which are ordered via the Internet.
Pharmaceutical services are heavily regulated. Stripe must comply with the card network rules that apply to merchants selling pharmaceutical products. According to Stripe’s information, pharmacies are only accepted in the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Check current regional availability directly with Stripe.
What are the requirements for telemedicine?
According to the underlying information from Stripe, telemedicine providers do not need LegitScript certification. However, licensing and regulatory requirements may apply, which Stripe verifies during the onboarding process. Stripe may request additional information, such as license numbers, for this purpose.
Telemedicine encompasses synchronous and asynchronous communication with patients, in which diagnoses or treatments are provided via telephone, text message, email, or video. Under this classification, educational and wellness services related to physical or mental health are not considered telemedicine.
Stripe reviews telemedicine companies on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a general approval.
What restrictions apply to travel packages?
Stripe or its financial partners may consider certain travel sectors to be particularly high-risk and may not support them. According to Stripe’s information, these include travel booking services and travel clubs, airlines, cruises, and timeshares.
Before making a decision, check the current list of restricted and prohibited businesses.
What restrictions apply to tobacco, vapes, and e-cigarettes?
According to the information provided, Stripe does not currently support the sale of regulated or age-restricted items such as tobacco, e-cigarettes, and e-liquids.
Before making a decision, check the current list of restricted and prohibited businesses.