6 ms·

This is great. Although I was a bit surprised by the lengthy prohibited businesses section - https://stripe.com/ca/terms#Prohibited+Businesses https://stripe.co

This is great. Although I was a bit surprised by the lengthy prohibited businesses section - https://stripe.com/ca/terms#Prohibited+Businesses https://stripe.com/ca/terms#Prohibited+Businesses There are some legitimate business apps that not allowed. e.g. anything twilio based: (36) prepaid phone cards, phone services or cell phones

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
atlbeer 14y ago
It's probably just a straight copy and paste from their upstream merchant.
- 2arrs2ells 14y ago
  With a goof in the numbering! (44) telecommunications equipment and telephone sales, (45) timeshares, (46) travel agencies or travel clubs, (47) online or other non-face-to-face tobacco or e-cigarette sales, (44) weapons and munitions
  - sheena 14y ago
    Thanks for the catch. Fixed now!
    - azundo 14y ago
      Just noticed another one at (28) “get rich quick” schemes; (28) gambling
  - pyre 14y ago
    telecomm equipment == weapons Freudian slip? ;)
nucleardog 14y ago
The ban on e-cigarette sales is also confusing. They are completely legal to distribute and own in Canada.
- michaelbuckbee 14y ago
  It's not a ban on things that are illegal, it's a ban on selling things with historically high fraud/chargeback rate.
- geoka9 14y ago
  Just as "adult" content is, right? I wonder why a blanket ban of pornography - is it because of the upstream providers or a policy of Stripe?
  - tisme 14y ago
    That's a risk category issue. Porn is categorized as 'high risk' and you need a different merchant account class and associated review procedure for that. You will also pay (sometimes much) higher fees, potentially you'll have to accept a hold-back period and there will be a periodical high-risk fee that you need to pay.
    - geoka9 14y ago
      Is processing payments for porn sites so much different that companies that specialize in it exclusively are needed? Why can't a company like Paypal or Stripe support those merchant account classes and procedures?
      - shinratdr 14y ago
        It's all about the rate of chargebacks and fraud. I would hardly be surprised if your average porn site was subject to both frequent chargebacks and heavy use of stolen credit card numbers, if not both at the same time. That and association. PayPal just doesn't want their name associated with stuff like that. It's hardly limited to just porn. Anything remotely sexual is rarely sold via PayPal or a major non-Adult-oriented payment processor.
DanHulton 14y ago
I don't think that bans anything Twilio-based. I'd get in touch with their (usually very responsive customer service) before engaging, but it looks more like they're trying to prevent people from engaging in activities that could allow for anonymous calling. Which kind if makes sense, if they're looking to never have to be involved in a lawsuit where someone uses said prepaid phone card or anonymous calling service to utter threats, plan terrorist attacks, or other random illegal stuff.
MarkSweep 14y ago
There are a couple interesting differences between the US terms and the CA terms: 1) The CA terms say "you [...] will not use the Service to accept payments ..." while the US terms has the more-broad limitation "you [...] will not accept payments ...". I wonder if Stripe in the US actually cares about payments you accept using other services (seems unlikely). 2) Only the US terms ban "personal computer technical support" or "predatory products or services". 3) The CA terms have a broad ban on "any product, service or activity prohibited by one or more Card Networks".
spitfire 14y ago
I'm a bit disappointed I can't use Stripe for my online, bespoke shotgun smithing company. More seriously, from the way that's written (quite non-legally) it's clear they don't want undesirable business. If you're on the edge, I'm betting a simple call/email would clear things up.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

atlbeer 14y ago

It's probably just a straight copy and paste from their upstream merchant.

2arrs2ells 14y ago
With a goof in the numbering! (44) telecommunications equipment and telephone sales, (45) timeshares, (46) travel agencies or travel clubs, (47) online or other non-face-to-face tobacco or e-cigarette sales, (44) weapons and munitions
- sheena 14y ago
  Thanks for the catch. Fixed now!
  - azundo 14y ago
    Just noticed another one at (28) “get rich quick” schemes; (28) gambling
- pyre 14y ago
  telecomm equipment == weapons Freudian slip? ;)

nucleardog 14y ago

The ban on e-cigarette sales is also confusing. They are completely legal to distribute and own in Canada.

michaelbuckbee 14y ago
It's not a ban on things that are illegal, it's a ban on selling things with historically high fraud/chargeback rate.
geoka9 14y ago
Just as "adult" content is, right? I wonder why a blanket ban of pornography - is it because of the upstream providers or a policy of Stripe?
- tisme 14y ago
  That's a risk category issue. Porn is categorized as 'high risk' and you need a different merchant account class and associated review procedure for that. You will also pay (sometimes much) higher fees, potentially you'll have to accept a hold-back period and there will be a periodical high-risk fee that you need to pay.
  - geoka9 14y ago
    Is processing payments for porn sites so much different that companies that specialize in it exclusively are needed? Why can't a company like Paypal or Stripe support those merchant account classes and procedures?
    - shinratdr 14y ago
      It's all about the rate of chargebacks and fraud. I would hardly be surprised if your average porn site was subject to both frequent chargebacks and heavy use of stolen credit card numbers, if not both at the same time. That and association. PayPal just doesn't want their name associated with stuff like that. It's hardly limited to just porn. Anything remotely sexual is rarely sold via PayPal or a major non-Adult-oriented payment processor.

DanHulton 14y ago

I don't think that bans anything Twilio-based. I'd get in touch with their (usually very responsive customer service) before engaging, but it looks more like they're trying to prevent people from engaging in activities that could allow for anonymous calling. Which kind if makes sense, if they're looking to never have to be involved in a lawsuit where someone uses said prepaid phone card or anonymous calling service to utter threats, plan terrorist attacks, or other random illegal stuff.

MarkSweep 14y ago

There are a couple interesting differences between the US terms and the CA terms: 1) The CA terms say "you [...] will not use the Service to accept payments ..." while the US terms has the more-broad limitation "you [...] will not accept payments ...". I wonder if Stripe in the US actually cares about payments you accept using other services (seems unlikely). 2) Only the US terms ban "personal computer technical support" or "predatory products or services". 3) The CA terms have a broad ban on "any product, service or activity prohibited by one or more Card Networks".

spitfire 14y ago

I'm a bit disappointed I can't use Stripe for my online, bespoke shotgun smithing company. More seriously, from the way that's written (quite non-legally) it's clear they don't want undesirable business. If you're on the edge, I'm betting a simple call/email would clear things up.