Prohibited and Restricted Businesses
Updated on May 31, 2024
Before using INSTO to trade, Sellers are responsible for ensuring that their products comply with all legal regulations and are allowed to be traded in accordance with INSTO's terms and policies. This Policy addresses prohibited and restricted products that are not allowed to be sold on INSTO. INSTO provides examples (not enumeration) of the guidelines below. INSTO will update this Policy from time to time when necessary. Please visit this page regularly to learn about relevant updates. If Sellers continue to use this service, it will be deemed that they have read this Policy in detail and accepted all its terms.
- Merchants with delayed delivery exceeding one year (except for non-profit organizations)
- Adult entertainment, including adult video stores, exotic dancing establishments, etc.
- Any illegal activities
- Hemp/CBD products
- Debt resolution companies
- Drug paraphernalia
- Sexual encounter firms
- Third-party payment processors for debt resolution companies
- Virtual currency dealers
- Shell banks
- Bearer shares
- Adoption agencies - for profit
- Bankruptcy attorneys
- Child pornography
- Collection agencies, refinancing of debts
- Counterfeit goods
- Direct marketing - travel related arrangement services
- Discount travel clubs
- Electronic cigarettes
- Fortune tellers
- Game console circumvention devices
- Investor services/investment clubs
- Penny auctions
- Pharmaceuticals (non-face- to-face)
- Protection services
- Telemedicine
- Wonder drugs
- Primary money service businesses (MSBs)
- Payday lenders and auto title lenders
Prohibited Businesses
-
You must not use Insto's services for the following activities.
- Airlines and cruises
- Travel agencies and tour operators
- Timeshares
- Adoption agencies - non profit
- Annual memberships and recurring charges
- Buying and shopping services and clubs
- Collectibles and high market value items
- Companion or dating services
- Computer hardware/software sales, computer maintenance repair
- Computer programming, data processing and integrated system design services
- Search engine optimization
- Counseling centers (non-licensed)
- Direct marketing - combination catalog and retail merchant
- Direct marketing - other direct marketers (not elsewhere classified)
- Door-to-door sales
- Electronic coupons
- Prepaid phone cards, prepaid cell phone (stand-alone seller)
- Fulfillment houses
- Furniture stores
- Gambling agencies
- Auction houses
- Sports forecasting/oddsmaking
- Modeling agencies/schools
- Non-face-to-face gun sales
- Non-face-to-face tobacco products
- Non-licensed massage therapists
- Inbound telemarketing companies
- Outbound telemarketing companies
- Pawn shops
- Precious stones and metals, watches and jewelry (wholesale)
- Seminar marketers/planning services
- Telecommunication services
- Third-party payment service providers
- Ticket brokers/agencies
- Bail and bond payments
- Adult Novelty
Restricted Businesses
-
Restricted Business categories may be imposed through card network rules, requirements of financial partners, or due to compliance and legal obligations.
- Telemarking Travel Related
- Card Not Present Tech/IT Support
- Cyber Locker
- Sweepstakes
- Digital Wallet
- Outbound Telemarketing Merchant
- Negative Option Subscription
- Card Not Present Age Restricted Products (i.e. alcohol)
- Dealers in Precious Metals, Stone, Jewels
- Non-profit Credit Repair / Counseling Services
- Continuity / Subscription Merchant
- Card Not Present Tobacco
- Auction Houses, Bidding Services
- CBD and CBD based Products
- Dating
- DIscount Memberships
- Marketplaces (non-travel)
- Nutraceuticals
- Warranties
- Online Gaming / Fantasy Sports
- Firearms / Ammunition (CP)
- Multi-Level Marketing
- Telemed / Pharmacies
- Personal Credit Protection / Credit Repair
- Consumer Lending / Document Pre
- ID Theft / Address Change / Visa Services
- Money Transfer MSBs
- Vape
Businesses that might pose elevated high risk
Non-compliance:
As a user of Insto's services, you are required to comply with INSTO's compliance guidelines and may at times be asked by our compliance teams to update your marketing materials or aspects of your user experience. This helps us ensure you and Insto are continuing to comply with the Federal and State laws and regulations that govern the use of these financial products. Failure to comply within the requested period may result in closure of your INSTO account.