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Shopify Payments Terms of Service: Prohibited Businesses

Due to Shopify Payments Terms of Service, the following categories of business and business practices are prohibited. All of them may be imposed through Payment Network Rules or the requirements of the Processor’s Financial Services Providers.  The types of businesses listed below are representative, but not exhaustive.  Take it into account, when deciding on migration to Shopify. If you’re uncertain as to whether your product is objectionable or not, please, contact Shopify Help Center to check out how these requirements apply to you. Remember: the Prohibited Business list can be updated at any time. Cart2Cart takes care of your time and comfort, so please, be attentive!

1) Financial and professional services:

• Investment & credit services;
• Securities brokers; mortgage consulting or debt reduction services; credit counselling or repair; real estate opportunities; lending instruments;
• Money and legal services;
• Money transmitters, check cashing, wire transfers, money orders; currency exchanges or dealers; bail bonds; collections agencies; law firms collecting funds for any purpose other than to pay fees owed to the firm for services provided by the firm (e.g., firms cannot use Shopify Payments to hold client funds, collection or settlement amounts, disputed funds, etc.);
• Virtual currency or stored value;
• Virtual currency that can be monetized, resold, or converted to physical or digital products and services or otherwise exit the virtual world (e.g., Bitcoin); sale of stored value, quasi-cash or credits maintained, accepted and issued by anyone other than the seller.

2) IP Infringement, regulated or illegal products and services:

• Intellectual property or proprietary rights infringement;
• Sales, distribution, or access to counterfeit music, movies, software, or other licensed materials without the appropriate authorization from the rights holder; any product or service that infringes or facilitates infringement upon the trademark, patent, copyright, trade secrets, or proprietary or privacy rights of any third party; use of Shopify intellectual property without express consent from Shopify; use of the Shopify name or logo including use of Shopify trade or service marks inconsistent with the Shopify Trademark Usage Guidelines, or in a manner that otherwise harms Shopify or the Shopify brand; any action that implies an untrue endorsement by or affiliation with Shopify;
• Counterfeit or unauthorized goods;
• Unauthorized sale or resale of brand name or designer products or services; sale of goods or services that are illegally imported or exported;
• Gambling;
• Lotteries; bidding fee auctions; sports forecasting or odds-making; fantasy sports leagues with cash prizes; internet gaming; contests; sweepstakes; games of chance;
• Regulated products and services;
• Marijuana dispensaries and related businesses; alcohol or alcoholic beverages; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, or accessories including e-juice or e-liquid; online pharmacies or pharmacy referral services; age-restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis;
• Adult content and services;
• Pornography and other obscene materials (including literature, imagery and other media). Sites offering any sexually-related products or services such as prostitution, massage parlours, dating-services, companion/escort services; international match-making and mail-order brides; pay-per-view, adult live chat or call features; child pornography, fetish gear and services including S&M paraphernalia; hard-core sexually oriented products and services; sex shows, sex clubs, topless bars, strip shows, and other adult entertainment; widgets that allow you to access pornography or pornographic ads.

3) Unfair, predatory, or deceptive practices:

• Get rich quick schemes;
• Investment opportunities or other services that promise high rewards;
• Mug shot publication or pay-to-remove sites;
• Platforms that facilitate the publication and removal of content (such as mug shots), where the primary purpose of posting such content is to cause or raise concerns of reputational harm;
• No-value-added services;
• Sale or resale of service without added benefit to the buyer; resale of government offerings without authorization or added value; sites that we determine in our sole discretion to be unfair, deceptive, or predatory towards consumers.

4) Products or services that are otherwise prohibited by our financial partners:

• Aggregation;
• Engaging in any form of licensed or unlicensed aggregation of funds owed to third parties, factoring, or other activities intended to obfuscate the origin of funds;
• Drug paraphernalia;
• Any equipment designed for making or using drugs, such as bongs, vaporizers, and hookahs;
• Event Tickets;
• Event or festival tickets, event ticket resellers, including theme park ticket reseller;
• Government Services;
• Embassies, foreign consulates or other foreign governments;
• High-risk businesses;
• Human hair, fake hair, or hair-extensions; age verification services; bankruptcy lawyers; computer technical support; psychic services; extended warranties; travel reservation services and clubs; airlines; cruises; timeshares; chain-letters; essay mills; flea markets; prepaid phone cards, phone services, and cell phones; telemarketing, telecommunications equipment and telephone sales; shipping or forwarding brokers; door-to-door sales; negative response marketing; credit card and identity theft protection; the use of credit to pay for lending services; any businesses that we believe poses elevated financial risk, legal liability, or violates card network or bank policies;
• Multi-level marketing;
• Pyramid schemes, network marketing, and referral marketing programs;
• Pharmaceuticals or Pseudo pharmaceuticals;
• Pharmaceuticals and other pseudo-pharmaceutical products that make health claims (e.g. retinol creams, lash growth serums, products containing hyaluronic acid, etc.) and medical devices;
• Social media activity;
• Sale of Twitter followers, Facebook likes, YouTube views, and other forms of social media activity;
• Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs;
• Sale of a legal substance that provides the same effect as an illegal drug (e.g., salvia, kratom);
• Video game or virtual world credits;
• Sale of in-game currency unless the merchant is the operator of the virtual world;
• Use of Shopify Payments in a manner inconsistent with its intended use or as expressly prohibited in the Terms of Service;
• Use of Shopify Payments principally as a virtual terminal (e.g., submitting card transactions by manually inputting card information); processing where there is no bona fide good or service sold, or donation accepted; card testing; evasion of card network chargeback monitoring programs; sharing cardholder information with another merchant for payment of upsell or cross-sell product or service; offering substantial rebates or incentives to the cardholder subsequent to the original purchase.

In order to avoid a big waste of time, ensure that your business does not belong to any of these categories. If so, Cart2Cart team will help you through the rough spots in no time and find the best eCommerce solution to transfer to. Stay tuned and happy migration!