PayPal Acceptable Use Policy
53 of 80 blocks carry cards. 23 cards.
Acceptable Use Policy
Acceptable Use Policy
Last updated on October 29, 2022
- Policy states it was last updated October 29, 2022 Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
You are independently responsible for complying with all applicable laws in all of your actions related to your use of PayPal's services, regardless of the purpose of the use. In addition, you must adhere to the terms of this Acceptable Use Policy. Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy constitutes a violation of the PayPal User Agreement.
- You are independently responsible for following applicable law and this policy Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Prohibited Activities
You may not use the PayPal service for activities that:
- Activities that violate any law are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Transactions involving drugs, cigarettes, firearms and weapons are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Transactions involving stolen, hateful, obscene, infringing or sexual items are prohibited Content & IP Rights
- Transactions involving pyramid schemes, third-party personal data, bribery and similar are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Merchant payment processing, money orders, currency exchange and some credit or insurance activity are prohibited Charges & Financial Obligations
- Products or services flagged by government agencies as likely fraudulent are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Restricted activities cannot be run without the required pre-approval Account & Service Control
- violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation.
- Activities that violate any law are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- relate to transactions involving (a) narcotics, steroids, certain controlled substances or other products that present a risk to consumer safety, (b) drug paraphernalia, (c) cigarettes, (d) items that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity, (e) stolen goods including digital and virtual goods, (f) the promotion of hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory or the financial exploitation of a crime, (g) items that are considered obscene, (h) items that infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy or any other proprietary right under the laws of any jurisdiction, (i) certain sexually oriented materials or services, (j) ammunition, firearms, or certain firearm parts or accessories, or (k) certain weapons or knives regulated under applicable law.
- Transactions involving drugs, cigarettes, firearms and weapons are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Transactions involving stolen, hateful, obscene, infringing or sexual items are prohibited Content & IP Rights
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
- Adult content delivered digitally needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
- Selling alcohol and non-cigarette tobacco products needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
- relate to transactions that (a) show the personal information of third parties in violation of applicable law, (b) support pyramid or ponzi schemes, matrix programs, other "get rich quick" schemes or certain multi-level marketing programs, (c) are associated with purchases of annuities or lottery contracts, lay-away systems, off-shore banking or transactions to finance or refinance debts funded by a credit card, (d) are for the sale of certain items before the seller has control or possession of the item, (e) are by payment processors to collect payments on behalf of merchants, (f) are associated with the sale of traveler's checks or money orders, (g) involve currency exchanges or check cashing businesses, (h) involve certain credit repair, debt settlement services, credit transactions or insurance activities, or (i) involve offering or receiving payments for the purpose of bribery or corruption.
- Transactions involving pyramid schemes, third-party personal data, bribery and similar are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- Merchant payment processing, money orders, currency exchange and some credit or insurance activity are prohibited Charges & Financial Obligations
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
- Multilevel marketing, direct selling and marketplaces need pre-approval Account & Service Control
- involve the sales of products or services identified by government agencies to have a high likelihood of being fraudulent.
- Products or services flagged by government agencies as likely fraudulent are prohibited Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
- relate to transactions involving any activity that requires pre-approval without having obtained said approval.
- Restricted activities cannot be run without the required pre-approval Account & Service Control
Activities Requiring Approval
PayPal requires pre-approval to accept payments for certain services as detailed in the chart below.
- PayPal requires pre-approval to accept payments for listed items and services Account & Service Control
PayPal requires pre-approval to accept payments for certain items and services as detailed below.
- PayPal requires pre-approval to accept payments for listed items and services Account & Service Control
Section
Category
Item or Service Requiring Pre-Approval (not intended to be an exhaustive list)
- PayPal requires pre-approval to accept payments for listed items and services Account & Service Control
Contact Information
1
Transportation
- Airlines and charter operators need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Airlines and scheduled or non-scheduled charters/jets/air taxi operators.
- Airlines and charter operators need pre-approval Account & Service Control
For general questions, please refer to our Help Center.
- Questions go to the Help Center; pre-approval or Business account questions go to Sales Account & Service Control
If you have questions about obtaining a pre-approval or opening a new PayPal Business account that offers services requiring pre-approval, please contact our [Sales team](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/contact-sales?locale.x=en_US).
- Questions go to the Help Center; pre-approval or Business account questions go to Sales Account & Service Control
2
Charities / Non-Profit
- Charities and non-profits collecting donations need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Collecting donations as a charity or non-profit organization.
- Charities and non-profits collecting donations need pre-approval Account & Service Control
3
High Value Items
- Dealers in jewels, precious metals and stones need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Operating as a dealer in jewels, precious metals and stones.
- Dealers in jewels, precious metals and stones need pre-approval Account & Service Control
4
Payment Facilitator
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
Providing payment services which would fall under the definition of a money service business or an electronic money institution. Services would also include the sale of stored value cards and escrow services.
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
5
Investments
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
Buying, selling, or brokering stocks, bonds, securities, options, figures, commodities, contracts for difference/forex, mutual funds or an investment interest in any entity or property.
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
6
Gambling, Gaming, Prize Draws and Contests
- Gambling, gaming, prize draws and contests need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Activities involving gambling, gaming and/or any other activity with an entry fee and a prize, including, but not limited to property/real estate prizes, casino games, sports betting, horse or greyhound racing, fantasy sports, lottery tickets, other ventures that facilitate gambling, games of skill (whether or not legally defined as gambling) and sweepstakes, if the operator and customers are located exclusively in jurisdictions where such activities are permitted by law.
- Gambling, gaming, prize draws and contests need pre-approval Account & Service Control
7
Cryptocurrency
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
Any digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, transferred, or used for payment, including, but not limited to, crypto currencies, virtual in-game currencies, or non-fungible tokens.
- Payment facilitators, investments and digital value or crypto need pre-approval Charges & Financial Obligations
8
Prescription Items
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
The sale of any product(s) requiring a prescription or prescription dispensing
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
services.
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
9
Telemedicine Services
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Providing medical services and consultations in a remote fashion.
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
10
Mature Audience Content
- Adult content delivered digitally needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
Any adult content delivered digitally including video on demand (VOD) and web-cam activities. PayPal may be restricted from processing payments in certain jurisdictions for adult DVD's, magazines and other adult themed products or services.
- Adult content delivered digitally needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
11
Online Dating
- Online dating, live streaming and file-sharing services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Any dating services that enable individuals to find and introduce themselves to new people with the goal of developing a personal or romantic relationship.
- Online dating, live streaming and file-sharing services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
12
Live Streaming/Broadcasting
- Online dating, live streaming and file-sharing services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Any activities in which people transmit video, voice or text content in a live environment with the potential of user interaction.
- Online dating, live streaming and file-sharing services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
13
File-Sharing
- Online dating, live streaming and file-sharing services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Providing file sharing services including cyberlockers and similar remote digital file sharing services where uploaded content is accessible to the public or the service pays uploaders for content.
- Online dating, live streaming and file-sharing services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
14
Alcohol
- Selling alcohol and non-cigarette tobacco products needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
Selling alcoholic beverages.
- Selling alcohol and non-cigarette tobacco products needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
15
Tobacco
- Selling alcohol and non-cigarette tobacco products needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
Non-cigarette tobacco products, e-cigarettes, cigars
- Selling alcohol and non-cigarette tobacco products needs pre-approval Account & Service Control
16
Medical Items or Services
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
All items classified as medical devices, and all services or treatment provided by a person or organization holding itself out as a provider of health-care services, including, but not limited to, all health-care services for which government licensure is required in the provider's jurisdiction or in the jurisdiction where services are being provided.
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
This category includes "Medical Tourism" involving medical services to be provided to a patient outside of that patient's home country.
- Prescription items, telemedicine and medical items or services need pre-approval Account & Service Control
17
Multilevel Marketing and Direct Selling Organizations
- Multilevel marketing, direct selling and marketplaces need pre-approval Account & Service Control
Direct Sales Organizations ("DSOs") and the Multi-Level Marketing ("MLMs") are distribution and marketing models in which products or services are sold via a network of independent distributors or representatives. DSO and MLM models rely on personal sales and frequently require the independent distributors to recruit new distributors in order to advance within the organization or gain incentive compensation.
- Multilevel marketing, direct selling and marketplaces need pre-approval Account & Service Control
18
Marketplaces
- Multilevel marketing, direct selling and marketplaces need pre-approval Account & Service Control
A marketplace is an e-commerce solution where third-party sellers can sell their products or services to customers.
- Multilevel marketing, direct selling and marketplaces need pre-approval Account & Service Control
More Information
To learn more about the Acceptable Use Policy, please refer to our [Help Center](https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/helpcenter/helphub/home/?locale.x=en_US).
- The Help Center has more about the policy Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
Violations of the Acceptable Use Policy
We encourage you to [report](https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/contact-us?email=paypalme&locale.x=en_US) violations of this Acceptable Use Policy to PayPal immediately. If you have a question about whether a type of transaction may violate the Acceptable Use Policy, or wish to file a report, you can do so [here](https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/contact-us?email=paypalme&locale.x=en_US).
- PayPal encourages reporting violations and asking whether a transaction is allowed Legal Rights & Agreement Rules