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Prohibited and restricted industries for a Merchant account

Prohibited and restricted industries for a Merchant account

In addition to those industries that are not supported for Revolut Business accounts, we have some additional industries we don’t support for Merchant accounts.

There are also business models that may only be eligible upon risk reviews. If Revolut Business determines your business may be suitable for a Merchant account, we’ll ask for more information before setting up your account. This might include but isn't limited to: financial statements, licences, previous acquirer history, registration documents, etc.

Please see the list below to find out which industries and business models we don’t currently support for Merchant accounts. This list is constantly changing based on our offerings and partner agreements, so check again in the future if your business isn’t currently eligible.

Prohibited industries and models

  • Alternative medicines (e.g. homoeopathy)
  • Commercial activity which infringes on copyrighted material
  • Concierge services (ad-Hoc services without a set business model, e.g. fulfilling custom client requests)
  • Cryptocurrency (exchanges; FX signals providers; cryptocurrency mining services, crypto mining products (e.g. mining rigs))
  • Dating services (dating apps, matchmaking sites; coaching/advice providers to increase dating success)
  • Companies who use drop-shipping to distribute products (business models in which the seller accepts and processes customer orders, but does not hold the stock themselves)
  • Digital games (Merchants distributing game keys; in-app purchases within games (such as buying in-app game currencies))
  • Electronic and surveillance equipment or software (Illegal telecommunications equipment, jamming equipment, spy software or equipment; Traffic devices (radar jammers, licence plate covers, and related products); Devices/services for unlocking technical protection measures (e.g. jailbreaking iPhones/rooting Androids)). Any product designed to: Circumvent locks or other manufacturer protection features; Infringe on any DRM (including geographic & IP related restrictions) - including through a VPN or similar service; Gain access to features, media, or content the user has not paid for or been authorised to access.
  • Cyberlocker services (file sharing, file hosting, etc.)
  • Financial services (Loan lenders, payday loans companies; Debt/credit consolidation companies; Debt collection agencies)
  • Fortune-tellers
  • Holding companies (a company that owns other companies and oversees their operations but exists solely to operate those subsidiaries)
  • Illegal/illicit drugs (Includes prescription drugs sold without pharmaceutical licence; Illegal substances OR substances that can be used to produce illegal substances (e.g. seeds); Substances designed to imitate illicit or illegal drugs (legal highs, research chemicals))
  • Illegal goods, smuggled goods, or protected/cultural items & artefacts
  • Marketplaces
  • Medical devices (including needles)
  • Medical services (including needling services e.g. botox, acupuncture, tattoos). Some are permitted (see restricted section)
  • Nicotine/tobacco products (e.g. cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vapes, liquid for vapes/e-cigarettes) (vape hardware not included)
  • Non-licensed resellers of after market goods (e.g. non-OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) car parts and installers of such). Merchants selling tyres/car batteries do not need to have a licence
  • Non-licensed sellers of Apple products (merchants must be listed on the “Authorised Apple Reseller” website)
  • Non-licensed sellers of certain branded merchandise (examples being Marvel, DC, Disney products etc.)
  • Personal shoppers (individuals who buy items such as clothing for their customers, rather than the customer buying the item directly themselves)
  • Plants, plant seeds, fungi & fungal spores where: the plant/fungus is toxic or harmful; the seed/spore or the plant/fungus is prohibited/illegal; the plant/fungus or organism is in danger of extinction/the trade of the plant is legally regulated
  • Multi-level marketing - Products not sold to the customer by the manufacturer, but frequently sold to consumers via social media channels, often using recruitment and pressuring techniques
  • Professional/expertise services that come under the following: pawn shops; bodyguards/private detectives; bail bondsmen; adoption agencies; academic paper/test writing/taking services; PPI (payment protection insurance) claims services; the sale of social media likes/follows
  • Real estate and timeshares
  • Refurbished/second-hand electronics
  • Remote software services/remote desktop access services
  • Resellers of high value products, where value cannot be derived from a registered quality inspection or certificate (e.g. Rolex watches, Pokémon cards, limited edition shoes/sneakers/trainers)
  • Sale of live animals (this includes, but is not limited to, breeding e.g. dog breeding and the sale of puppies). Includes the sale of insects, animal parts, blood, fluids
  • Sexual services (anything which implies sex as a service); sex products (sex toys, dolls, costumes etc) are permitted, as long as there is nothing linking the Merchant to sex as a service in addition to these products
  • Subscription models where the customer is buying something with a subjective outcome (based on someone’s personal satisfaction). Pseudo-pharmaceuticals (weight loss, anti-ageing, tanning, teeth whitening products, etc.)
  • Supplements (fertility boosters, testosterone boosters, diet supplements etc) making unsubstantiated claims, or claims that are impossible to verify. Vitamins, food and other supplements are permitted, so long as they are substantiated or verifiable
  • Transaction activity which displays personal information, where this violates applicable data protection laws (e.g. GDPR)
  • Vehicle tuning/modifications, not made by qualified personnel
  • Weapons, such as knives and guns (kitchen knives not included)

Restricted

Restricted businesses may be onboarded with different terms of trade to other industries. This means that as per our Payment Processing Services Agreement, full access to the proceeds of merchant transactions may be restricted, with Revolut placing a percentage of the funds under a reserve for a designated amount of time.

  • Airlines, air carriers, & airports
  • Alcohol sales
  • Car (and other vehicle) rental agencies
  • Construction materials & construction/installation contractors
  • Digital goods & applications
  • Direct marketing
  • Electronics, computer equipment, and software services
  • Financial & insurance services (where not prohibited)
  • Furniture sellers
  • Government-related services
  • High value goods, e.g. jewellery, precious metals & stones
  • Lodging – hotels, motels, & resorts
  • Marketplaces
  • Medical & dental device manufacturers
  • Medical services (where not prohibited). Chiropractors, dentists, physiotherapists
  • Merchants importing & reselling products where licensing requirements may vary across the EU (e.g. hoverboards, scooters, toy guns) (merchants must be able to provide proof of 3rd party liability insurance for said products)
  • Professional services. Health/beauty (spas, massage therapists, modelling agencies). Web services (social media management, web design)
  • Remote desktop support, technical support, and repair services
  • Subscription models. Contracts can’t extend beyond a 12-month period without renewal. Customer must be notified at least 7 days prior to auto-renewal
  • Telecommunication companies (phone service providers, SIM cards, etc.)
  • Transportation & freight services
  • Travel providers, agencies, & tour operators

If you already have a Revolut Business account and have a question about our Merchant account services, please take a look at our Help page for more information.