Acceptable Use Policy

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") sets out the categories of business, content and behaviour that are permitted, restricted or prohibited on Paytab. It applies to every merchant, sub-merchant, platform user, employee, contractor and API integrator that accesses the Service, and to every End Customer transaction routed through Paytab.

The AUP forms part of your agreement with Paytab and is enforceable alongside the Terms of Service, the Data Processing Addendum, the rules of the card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), the operating rules of Faster Payments, Bacs, SEPA and Open Banking, and all Applicable Law in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area and any jurisdiction in which you accept payments.

You must operate a lawful, transparent and well-described business. That means: a live website or app that accurately describes the goods or services you sell; clear pricing including any recurring charges; a functioning support channel; refund, cancellation and delivery terms; and a genuine physical address and contact route. You must display your legal name (or trading name), VAT number where applicable, and — for regulated activities — the relevant licence or registration.

You must not misrepresent yourself, your goods, your business category or the nature of any transaction; you must not obscure the merchant descriptor that appears on cardholder statements; and you must not attempt to route through Paytab any transaction whose real underlying business would fall in a prohibited or restricted category.

Paytab will not, in any circumstance, provide payment services to the following businesses or transaction types. Attempted use for these purposes is grounds for immediate suspension, permanent termination and reporting to card schemes, regulators or law-enforcement agencies:

• Illegal goods or services under UK, EEA or local law, including but not limited to unlicensed pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, counterfeit goods, stolen property, illegal wildlife products, human trafficking and forced labour.
• Weapons, ammunition, explosives, silencers, 3D-printed firearm components, and services that facilitate their sale or modification.
• Child sexual abuse material, non-consensual intimate imagery, and any content that sexualises minors.
• Terrorist financing, sanctions evasion, and payments to or from persons or entities on any UK, EU, UN or US sanctions list.
• Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, "get-rich-quick" programmes and multi-level marketing structures whose revenue depends primarily on recruitment.
• Unlicensed money-transmission, unlicensed lending, unlicensed insurance, unlicensed crypto exchange, unregistered securities and mixers or tumblers.
• Chemical or biological materials capable of causing serious harm, including precursors listed under the Poisons Act 1972 or the CWC.
• Any business appearing on the MATCH / VMSS terminated-merchant lists without prior written approval from Paytab's Risk team.

The following categories are permitted only with prior written approval, additional due diligence, elevated pricing and — in most cases — a rolling reserve. You must not begin processing in a restricted category before Paytab confirms activation in writing:

• Gambling, betting, lotteries and prize competitions — requires a valid UK Gambling Commission licence (or equivalent) and geo-blocking of prohibited jurisdictions.
• Adult content and services — must be lawful, age-verified, hosted on age-gated infrastructure, and free of any content involving non-consent or minors.
• Cryptocurrency on/off-ramps, DeFi platforms and NFT marketplaces — requires FCA registration under the MLRs 2017 and Travel-Rule compliance.
• Firearms accessories (non-live), knives, martial arts weapons — requires age-verification and shipping restrictions consistent with the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.
• CBD and hemp-derived products — must meet MHRA and Novel Foods requirements and remain below the statutory THC threshold.
• Debt collection, credit repair and IVA services — requires FCA authorisation and evidence of compliant marketing.
• Timeshares, travel clubs, ticket resale and long-lead delivery businesses — reserves apply due to elevated chargeback exposure.
• Charities, political parties, PACs and religious organisations — additional beneficial-ownership and source-of-funds checks apply.

Restricted status may be revoked at any time based on scheme guidance, regulator action or observed chargeback performance.

Regardless of the business category, the following content and behaviours are prohibited on Paytab's checkout pages, hosted invoices, payment links and API-integrated surfaces:

• Content that infringes another person's intellectual-property rights, publicity rights or right to privacy.
• Content that incites violence, self-harm, terrorism, or hatred on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
• Deceptive design patterns, forced continuity, hidden auto-renewals, undisclosed "negative-option" billing, and other practices banned by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
• Impersonation of Paytab, of other businesses, of celebrities or of any public authority.
• Systematic scraping, credential stuffing, card testing or any attempt to probe the platform for vulnerabilities outside our published responsible-disclosure programme.
• Uploading or transmitting malware, worms, viruses, trojans, ransomware or any code intended to disrupt the Service or its users.

You must comply with the rules of the card schemes and payment networks under which you accept payments. Without limitation, this includes the Visa Core Rules, Mastercard Rules, American Express Merchant Reference Guide, the Faster Payments Scheme, Bacs Direct Debit rules and the SEPA rulebooks. Where a scheme rule and this AUP conflict, the stricter applies. Scheme fines assessed against Paytab as a result of your activity are your responsibility under the Terms of Service.

Paytab operates a risk-based programme aligned to the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Terrorism Act 2000 and applicable sanctions regimes. You must not process transactions on behalf of undisclosed third parties, split transactions to evade thresholds, structure payouts to disguise their origin, or transact with sanctioned persons or jurisdictions. We may freeze, delay or reject transactions and file regulatory reports without notice where required by law.

You must give End Customers clear, up-front information about price (including recurring charges, taxes and shipping), delivery timelines, cancellation and refund rights, and how to contact you. Marketing communications you send in connection with Paytab payments must comply with the UK GDPR, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, the CAP/BCAP Codes and the FCA's financial-promotion rules where relevant. Free trials must not silently convert to paid subscriptions.

You may use the Paytab name, wordmark and logo only in accordance with our Brand Guidelines and only to indicate that you accept payments through Paytab. You must not imply endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation beyond that. Third-party trade marks displayed on checkout (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Klarna) must be used in line with each network's brand rules.

Paytab may, at its discretion and where lawful: request additional information; impose transaction limits or reserves; delay or reverse settlement; require remediation within a stated period; suspend or terminate the account; report activity to card schemes, regulators, law enforcement and industry databases (including MATCH and VMSS); and pursue any legal or equitable remedy available. Termination for cause under this AUP does not entitle you to compensation, and outstanding fees, chargebacks, scheme fines and losses remain payable.

If you believe someone is misusing Paytab or violating this AUP — for example, a merchant selling prohibited goods, running a scam, or using a stolen brand — please email trust@paytab.co.uk with as much detail as you can share (URLs, screenshots, order references). Reports can be made anonymously. We investigate every report and, where appropriate, coordinate with schemes and authorities.

We update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, scheme rules or Paytab's risk appetite. Material changes will be communicated to merchants at least 30 days before they take effect, unless a shorter period is required to address a legal or regulatory obligation. The current version is always available at paytab.co.uk/legal/acceptable-use.

Questions? Email legal@paytab.co.uk.