Glossary term
Stripe Restricted Businesses (§6.3)
The section of Stripe's terms that lists business categories Stripe restricts or prohibits, including piracy, counterfeit goods, and regulated products.
Stripe's restricted businesses, published under section 6.3 of its terms, define the categories of business Stripe will not support or will support only under conditions. The list is the practical reference point for what a Stripe-using platform can and cannot pay out for.
Categories relevant to creator economy platforms include intellectual property infringement (such as pirated streaming or counterfeit goods), certain adult content, regulated or controlled substances, weapons and ammunition, multi-level marketing, unlicensed gambling, and unlicensed money transmission. Some categories are outright prohibited; others are restricted and permitted only with specific approvals.
Because a platform paying out through Stripe is bound by these rules for every creator it pays, section 6.3 is effectively a checklist of what could trigger enforcement. Enforcement can range from account holds and increased reserve requirements to fines and account termination, with amounts and severity depending on the processor and the nature of the violation.
This definition is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal or compliance advice, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Stripe. Consult Stripe's official restricted businesses list for definitive requirements.
Related terms
Prohibited Business List
A payment processor's published list of business categories it will not process payments for, such as piracy, counterfeit goods, or unlicensed regulated products.
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
A processor or platform's policy defining permitted and prohibited uses of its service. PayPal's AUP is a common reference point in the creator economy.
Enforcement Cascade
The escalating sequence of processor consequences — from warning to fine, reserve increase, termination, and MATCH listing — that follows an unaddressed violation.
Payout Compliance
Vetting which creators a platform is safe to pay, mapped against payment processor prohibited-business policies, before money moves.