Introduction: At Peach Payments, we prioritize maintaining a secure and compliant payment processing environment. To protect our network and all stakeholders involved, certain merchants and industries are either prohibited from using our services or classified as high-risk. Merchants in the latter category must apply for ISO accounts and are not eligible for our aggregation MID. However, if they wish to remain on aggregation, they may utilize our EFT or other non-card payment solutions.

Prohibited Merchants:

These merchants are strictly prohibited from processing payments through Peach Payments due to legal, regulatory, or reputational concerns. The categories include:

  1. Unlawful Sale of Prescription Drugs: Unauthorized distribution of prescription medications.
  2. Intellectual Property (IP) Violations: Sale of counterfeit goods and other IP infringements.
  3. Illegal or Miscoded Gambling: Non-compliant gambling activities or inaccurate MCC coding.
  4. Online Sale of Tobacco Products: E-commerce platforms selling tobacco without proper authorization.
  5. Rogue Cyberlocker Merchants: Services that distribute copyrighted content without permission.
  6. Prohibited Adult Content: Illegal or non-compliant adult material.
  7. Confirmed Pyramid Selling: Businesses operating pyramid schemes.
  8. Escort Agencies/Massage Parlors/Adult Content: Activities related to the adult services industry.
  9. Illegal Substances/Drugs/Drug Paraphernalia: Sale or distribution of illegal drugs and related paraphernalia.

High Brand Risk Merchants:

Merchants identified under these MCC (Merchant Category Codes) represent a higher risk due to the nature of their business. These merchants must apply for ISO accounts to process payments and are not allowed on Peach Payments' aggregation MID unless they use EFT or non-card payment solutions:

  • 3000 - 3350, 4511: Airlines and Air Carrier
  • 3351 - 3500, 7512: Car Rental Agencies
  • 4411: Cruise Lines
  • 4814: Key-Entry Telecom Companies (e.g., those facilitating billing for telecom services via keyed-in account numbers).
  • 4816: High-Risk Cyberlocker Merchants (e.g., file-sharing services where links cannot be verified by G2).
  • 5099, 5999: Firearms Sales
  • 5122: Drugs, Drug Proprietaries, Druggist Sundries
  • 5262: Marketplaces
  • 5813: Drinking Places (e.g., bars, taverns, nightclubs, cocktail lounges, discotheques)
  • 5816: Digital Goods – Games
  • 5912: Drug Stores and Pharmacies (including recreational cannabis merchants)
  • 5962: Direct Marketing – Travel-Related Arrangement Services
  • 5964: Direct Marketing – Catalog Merchant
  • 5965: Direct Marketing – Combination Catalog and Retail Merchant
  • 5966: Direct Marketing – Outbound Telemarketing Merchant
  • 5967: Direct Marketing – Inbound Teleservices Merchant (including digital adult content)
  • 5968: Direct Marketing – Continuity/Subscription Merchant (AKA "negative option billing" or "free-to-pay conversion")
  • 5969: Direct Marketing – Other Direct Marketers (not elsewhere classified)
  • 5993: Cigar Stores and Stands / Non–face-to-face tobacco product merchants (e.g., e-cigarettes)
  • 6012: Bureau de Change
  • 6051: Cryptocurrencies (including funding of crypto wallets, ICOs)
  • 6211: Investment Merchants (e.g., bonds, debentures, high-risk security investments like binary options trading, CFDs, Forex, etc.)
  • 7012: Timeshare and Holiday Clubs
  • 7273: Dating Services
  • 7800/7801/7802: US Merchants involved in lottery and gambling transactions
  • 7841: DVD/Video Tape Rental Stores
  • 7994: Skill Online Gaming
  • 7995: Betting (e.g., lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, off-track betting, wagers at race tracks)
  • 9406: Government-Owned Lottery [specific countries]


Visa & MasterCard Specific High Brand Risk Designations:

Certain activities are deemed high-risk by Visa and MasterCard within broader MCC categories:

  • 4816: Cyberlockers and similar services facilitating public access to remote digital files, particularly if the service compensates uploaders.
  • 5816: Digital Goods—Games, particularly those involving skill-based gaming such as daily fantasy sports.
  • 6051: Non-Financial Institutions involved in the purchase of cryptocurrencies, funding crypto wallets, or ICOs.

There are also a number of Counterfeit-Prone Products which may need to adhere to strict authenticity checks or offer certificates of authenticity:

  • Brand New Apple Products 
  • Sneakers and Perfume and Sports jerseys


Conclusion: By enforcing these restrictions and requirements, Peach Payments ensures compliance with global standards and protects the integrity of our payment processing network. Merchants falling into these prohibited or high-risk categories must either seek alternative solutions or comply with the stringent requirements necessary for an ISO account. However, high-risk merchants have the option to remain on aggregation by utilizing our EFT or non-card payment solutions.