Restrictions come from two directions: the law prohibits trade in certain goods, and payment systems additionally close categories with a high rate of disputes and fraud. The review looks not at the wording in the contract but at what is actually sold on the site.
Almost always closed
- Goods restricted by law: weapons, narcotics, counterfeit products.
- Gambling and lotteries without the corresponding licence.
- Selling personal data, databases or account-hacking services.
- Financial pyramids and promises of guaranteed returns.
Connected with restrictions
- Categories with many disputes — for example info products with no clear description of the result.
- Services with long fulfilment: the later the buyer sees a result, the higher the dispute risk.
- Age-restricted goods, where the buyer has to be verified.
Why the site is reviewed
- The merchant category is assigned by the actual range of goods, not by the company name.
- A mismatch between the declared activity and the site is a common reason for refusal.
- If the range changes, it is worth reporting: the terms may need revisiting.
Why a site may fail the review is covered separately.
