Authorize.Net’s list of prohibited categories –

BBB-accredited and A+ rated, Tasker Payment Gateways LLC provides this guidance on Authorize.Net’s prohibited products, services, and restricted business activities as general information only. Contact us anytime for specific advice or help accepting credit cards online.

* You should always consult an attorney before engaging in any sort of regulated activity and should carefully read all your provider’s terms and conditions.

Does Authorize.Net allow online pharmacies and telehealth like those selling GLP-1s?

Yes, with a caveat. Authorize.Net payment gateway software will work well for telehealth and online pharmacy businesses, including those selling GLP-1 medications. But the actual credit card processing approval depends on the merchant account provider, who will review your exact business model, licensing, fulfillment, and what is being prescribed and sold. These businesses typically need a processor that specifically supports telehealth or pharmacy accounts.

Need a payment gateway recommendation for telehealth and online pharmacy? We have more than 20 years of experience and stellar ratings with the BBB and Trustpilot. Contact us any time to get started.

Does Authorize.Net allow smoking accessories like pipes and glassware?

Yes. Authorize.Net does allow legal smoking accessory businesses, like glass pipe & bong sites, to use their payment gateway, but the processing piece must be with a headshop-friendly processor.

Read more about pipe and glassware processing.

Does Authorize.Net allow vaporizers and e-juice?

Yes. Authorize.Net is allowing online vaping and electronic cigarette payment gateways – if the processing is set up correctly.

Learn more about vape payment gateways.

Does Authorize.Net allow CBD oil?

Yes. Authorize.Net is allowing CBD sales – you guessed it – as long as the processor it’s connected to also allows CBD.

Read about how to set up CBD payment processing or keep up to date on the latest news on how to process credit cards for CBD.

Does Authorize.Net allow premium cigars and loose tobacco?

Yes. Authorize.Net does allow cigar payment processing, but their standard merchant accounts usually do not. This means you need to set up the gateway and processing correctly.

You can learn more about cigars and Authorize.Net here.

Does Authorize.Net allow cannabis seeds?

Yes, the Authorize.Net payment gateway software piece does allow legal cannabis seeds, but your reseller must apply with a merchant account provider that will specifically approve your account for cannabis seeds and review your website for compliance. Surprisingly, the process is very straightforward and generally does not have any upfront cost or long delays.

Does Authorize.Net allow FFL and tactical sites?

Yes. Authorize.Net is now allowing online FFL to FFL sites as long as the back-end processing is 2A-friendly. Beyond firearms, you can also accept credit cards for knives and other weapons using Authorize.Net as long as the reseller you use applies for and helps you get approved for a merchant account that not only integrates with Authorize.Net but also allows your exact product line. Confused? Reach out for some free, friendly advice.

Read about FFL payment processing, our updated FFL Authorize.Net article or about payment processing for tactical sites.

Authorize.Net prohibited products

Authorize.Net’s list of high-risk products and restricted business activities that they do not allow – used to be listed on page 7 of the Authorize.Net service agreement PDF that was found on their site. As of this post, that PDF version can no longer be found via their site search or on the Authorize.Net sitemap.

So, in black and white, what isn’t allowed by Authorize.Net?

Based on our experience with literally hundreds of Authorize.Net users, experts, and resellers, we know of no legal activity that is explicitly prohibited by Authorize.Net’s payment gateway software piece. Or, to put it more succinctly, we cannot find any current public Authorize.Net list of prohibited categories for standard credit card gateway transactions. This was not the case in the past – there used to be dozens of prohibited services and products, regardless of the back-end merchant account website owners used.

We reviewed the Authorize.Net Terms of Use, the Authorize.Net Payment Gateway Merchant Account Service Agreement, and we used their site search feature to look for references to commonly prohibited items, allowed uses, and prohibited uses. We found no list of disallowed items or services other than references to illegal activities, which is obvious. Many, many high-risk or regulated products and services do require a specially underwritten merchant account, though. This part can be confusing, but it is really important.

Note: Authorize.Net’s eCheck.Net service has its own additional restrictions, so its rules should not be confused with standard credit card gateway software transactions.

The two biggest takeaways in terms of high-risk and AuthorizeNet

1. Just because the gateway allows your product, that does not mean your merchant account will. Authorize.Net is simply software; for it to allow the online acceptance of credit cards, the payment gateway must be connected to a merchant account. Because this connection is often done seamlessly in the background, many experienced e-commerce merchants are not aware of this important distinction.

When selling a simple, low-risk product or service, a merchant account is automatically set up and facilitated by Authorize.Net. However, for high-risk products, the merchant account must be correctly set up on the back-end to enable your site to accept credit card payments online.

If you are new to selling regulated items like physician-prescribed GLP-1s, vape, tactical, FFL, knives, cigars, CBD, or cannabis seeds, you must familiarize yourself with the distinction between a payment gateway and a merchant account.

Businesses should accurately disclose what they sell during underwriting rather than trying to process under a different business category, as the risk is huge. If you need help or advice, contact us anytime to be put in touch with a qualified independent agent who knows both your software and your exact products and services. Use our contact page and provide as much detail as you can.

Please read the FAQs on our homepage and review our high-risk Authorize.Net page. These 2 pages will provide the answers you need to move forward. You can also contact us directly using the form below; we are happy to answer your questions.

2. Review all terms and conditions, and get qualified legal advice. As always, we want to emphasize that we are not attorneys, nor do we work for Authorize.Net. Review their terms yourself and seek the advice of an attorney familiar with e-commerce and your specific industry selling online.

Let us help you sell online

If you need help selling a regulated product or service online using Authorize.Net, let us help. Our dedicated, independent agents will walk you carefully through every step of the process, at no cost to you.

We are paid by the service providers, not by website owners or developers. You can learn more about Tasker Payment Gateways on our About Us page and read customer reviews on Trustpilot or our BBB-accredited business page.

Tasker Payment Gateways LLC is BBB accredited, A+ rated, and available anytime for free, friendly advice.

Sources:

Authorize.Net Terms of Use: https://www.authorize.net/about-us/terms.html
Authorize.Net Acceptable Use Guidelines Information: https://support.authorize.net/knowledgebase/article/KA-04277/en-us