Prohibited Businesses
Last updated 06/03/2024
Accepted Activities Guidelines
As a regulated financial institution, MANGOPAY is committed to ensure that its activities comply with legal, regulatory as well as ethical standards, at all times.
Therefore, Prohibitions or Restrictions apply in relation to certain activities, businesses, flows and/or transactions (hereinafter, collectively, “Activities”) that may be carried out by MANGOPAY, its Partners as well as by their customers “End-users”.
MANGOPAY reserves the right to amend this list, at its entire discretion, on the basis of legal or regulatory requirements as well as the evolution of MANGOPAY’s own risk appetite.
These Guidelines apply prior to the establishment of a business relationship (refusal to enter in business relationship) as well as during the business relationship (blocking of wallets or accounts, and termination of business relationships).
Not sure whether MANGOPAY can support your business? Please contact one of our experts to see if we’re the right fit for your project.
1. General Rules
MANGOPAY has no appetite to engage in any of the following Activities:
- Activities that are carried out by, or on behalf of, entities or individuals included in international sanctions list, as they apply to MANGOPAY. Such lists may consist of general embargoes on countries, flows, transaction types and parties, but also of lists of individuals, entities or countries involved or potentially involved with acts of terrorism or financing thereof;
- Activities that are illegal in the jurisdictions where MANGOPAY operates or may plan to operate, including Activities that may appear legitimate but are established to circumvent legal or regulatory prohibitions or restrictions;
- Activities that consist in the establishment of a “cross-border arrangement” as defined under the terms of Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 as well as any other Activities established for the purpose to commit or facilitate tax evasion, tax fraud or tax swindle;
- Activities that would require that MANGOPAY provides services to individuals or entities established outside of the EEA or otherwise outside of countries or jurisdictions where MANGOPAY is legally authorised to conduct business, unless this is done on an ancillary or reverse solicitation basis.
- Any other Activities that are carried out for the purpose of or in conjunction with money laundering or terrorism financing, including the facilitation thereof.
2. Prohibitions and Restrictions
MANGOPAY defines additional criteria (“Prohibitions” and “Restrictions”) that apply to certain Activities.
Prohibitions cannot be lifted. Restrictions to certain Activities may be lifted or reduced at MANGOPAY’s Authorised Management discretion and on a no-commitment, case-by-case basis.
Prohibitions and Restrictions may apply also in those cases where Activities are conducted on an ancillary or accessory basis.
MANGOPAY’s appetite for Activities may evolve with time. Certain Prohibited or Restricted Activities may have been accepted in the past and some of them still be supported by MANGOPAY, with no obligation on MANGOPAY to immediately terminate the relevant business relationships.
The list of Prohibitions and Restrictions constitutes a reference framework and should not be considered as being exhaustive.
3. Prohibited Activities
The following Activities are prohibited. This list may also include prohibited Activities as imposed by Card Schemes or MANGOPAY’s banking partners.
3.1. Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
- Drugs, legal or illegal; narcotics, psychotropic, substances, drug paraphernalia
- Amphetamines, ephedrine, cocaine, methylphenidate
- Cannabis products, dispensaries, related businesses
- Cannabidiol (CBD) products containing negligible amounts of THC
- Tobacco, e-cigarettes, other assimilated (Business-to-Consumer B2C model)
- Nicotine gum and patches (Business-to-Consumer B2C model)
See 4.1 Restricted activities, Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
3.2. Medical & pharmaceutical goods and services
- Unlicensed therapists
- Pseudoscience services: Psychic services, voyance services. Psychic, medium, astrology, divinatory arts.
See 4.2 Restricted activities, Medical & pharmaceutical goods and services
3.3. Intellectual Property Rights
- Copyright, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, industrial designs, geographical indications, plant variety rights, database rights, mask works, personality rights, domain name
- Counterfeit goods, fake merchandise; unlawfully brought into or out of a country
- Illicit sale of branded or designer items or services without proper authorization
3.4. Products and services that are unfair, predatory, or deceptive
- Multi level, pyramid-style, affiliate marketing or assimilated schemes, including get-rich-quick programs
- Social Media: Followers, likes, views, approvals or ratings/reviews purchases on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or other social networks or Marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, AppStore, etc.) Any purchase or sale, including the creation of fake or manipulated customer reviews.
- Data (including personal or sensitive data) sale/purchase. Any sale, purchase, sharing, facilitation of personal or sensitive (including, potentially personal or sensitive) data on a B2B/B2C and C2C regardless of the underlying business model.
- Negative option billing for physical products
- Social, Gaming, Streaming: Sharing or reselling/renting of profiles/accounts on media platforms. Creation, management of fake profiles on social networks. False or fraudulent merchants or buyers on marketplaces. Purchase or sale of followers, likes, views, approvals or ratings/reviews on any social network or Marketplace.
- See 4.7 Restricted activities, Social, Gaming, Streaming
3.5. Adult content and services
- Adult entertainment, pornography or related digital or non-digital contents, adult dating, adult pay-per-view, adult webcams
- Prostitution, escort services, non-therapeutic massage services
- Adult clubs, strip clubs, cabarets, gentleman’s clubs, topless bars
- Underage porn or assimilated. This definition includes any written, audio or visual contents, services, hosting, facilitation thereof, with no limitations in scope, semantics or context.
- Any type of adult entertainment and related, including activities, businesses or transaction
- Adult dating, online dating
3.6. Activities that may be illegal, or subject to specific regulations or licenses
- Legal services. Legal firms gathering money for objectives beyond paying legal service fees. Customer-to-Customer (C2C) Legal Firms
- Firearms, explosives and dangerous materials: Weapons (war). Any sale, trading, renting, borrowing, financing or related activities. Peptides, experimental compounds, and various hazards substances including those that are toxic, combustible, and radioactive. As well as fertilizers. Other explosives.
- See 4.3 Restricted activities, Firearms, explosives and dangerous materials
- Gambling: Betting, e-casinos, lotteries, sport forecasting, skilled games wagering (e.g fantasy sports). Any type of related activities, businesses or transactions, even when the winnings have no immediate or obvious monetary value.
3.7. Financial services
- Debt collection services. Debt collection services by agencies, liquidators, notaries, lawyers, etc.
- Unlicensed financial services
- See 4.5 Restricted activities, Financial Platforms, Products, and Services
3.8. Other activities
- Precious goods: Wholesale, trading, transportation of other precious materials including raw materials and natural resources (oil, natural gas, etc)
- See 4.4 restricted activities, Precious goods
- Donations, charities: Political parties or political activities
- See 4.4 restricted activities, Donations, charities
- Non-fiat currency: Mining services for crypto and NFT supportability and availability. Prepaid phone cards, sim cards, and phone services
- See 4.4 restricted activities, Non-fiat currency
- Auctions: Penny auction and similar concepts. Auctions that do not hold a valid license/registration in the jurisdiction of establishment
- Shipping, transportation, and delivery services: Platforms for shipping and forwarding brokers, Shipping brokers, Forwarding brokers
- See 4.4 restricted activities, Shipping, transportation, and delivery services
4. Restricted Activities
The following categories of Activities are Restricted and can be accepted only on the basis of formal approval by MANGOPAY’s Authorised Management.
4.1 Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
Alcohol, alcoholic beverages, spirits for consumption; retail sale of any such products
Tobacco, e-cigarettes, other assimilated (Business-to-Business B2B model, wholesale, trading)
- Nicotine gum and patches (Business-to-Business B2B model, wholesale, trading)
See 3.1 prohibited activities Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
4.2 Medical & pharmaceutical goods and services
Online sale/trading of pharmaceutical goods
Prescription-only products and regulated medical devices
Medical consultation, teleconsultation, advice or practice
See 3.2 prohibited activities Medical & pharmaceutical goods and services
4.3 Activities that may be illegal, or subject to specific regulations or licenses
- Firearms, explosives and dangerous materials: Fireworks
See 3.6 prohibited activities Activities that may be illegal, or subject to specific regulations or licenses
4.4 Other activities
Precious goods: Watches and jewellery, Art objects, marketplaces
Donations, charities: Donations/collections platforms, Charities, NGOs, Charity sweepstakes and raffles for the explicit purpose of fundraising
Non-fiat currency: Cryptocurrencies, cryptoassets, tokens and assimilated, Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Sale of stored value or credits i.e gift cards, loyalty programs, online gaming platforms
Shipping, transportation, and delivery services: Drop shipping, Customer-to-Customer (C2C) shipping, delivery services, parcel or goods transportation, pick-up, handling
Auctions: Other Auction houses
Other products, services, business: Live-stock, Pet marketplace & platforms, Second-hand car sales
See 3.8 prohibited activities Other activities
4.5 Financial Services
Financial Platforms, Products, and Services: Investment and brokerage services, Lending services, Buy Now Pay Later services, Crowdfunding, crowd-lending/financing, Insurance services (including medical and life insurance), Money transfer and money remittance, Banks including neobanks / challenger banks, Payment escrow services, payment facilitation
See 3.7 prohibited activities Financial Platforms, Products, and Services
4.6 Travel
Travel agencies, online travel bookings, travel facilitators, carriers
Airlines (including private jets)
Other delayed delivery businesses e.g. Hotels, Car Rentals
Social, Gaming, Streaming: In-game purchases, E-sports, video gaming competitions and associated, Streaming
See 3.4 prohibited activities Products and services that are unfair, predatory, or deceptive
Not sure whether MANGOPAY can support your business? Please contact one of our experts to see if we’re the right fit for your project.