Paddle is built to serve the subscription-based software market. If your company’s primary offering is human services (such as consultation, support, or design services) or the sale of physical goods, Paddle is not a good fit for your needs.
While we have stipulated a series of forbidden business categories in this document, some overall restrictions on the use of Paddle include any business offering that:
Violates any rules or regulations of Card Brand Networks;
Violates any law or government regulation;
Involves the conduct of fraudulent, deceptive, unfair, or predatory practices;
Threatens reputational damage to Paddle or any Card Brand Network;
Results in or causes a significant risk of chargebacks, fines, damages, or harm and liability;
Engages in, encourages, promotes, or celebrates violence or physical harm to persons or property, or toward any group based on race, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other immutable characteristic
Contravenes the requirements for the provision of consent under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Some of the above may not be obvious or evident at the time of application, but Paddle reserves the right to exercise judgment in ascertaining whether any of these factors are likely to be present.
A list of all business categories and practices which are forbidden from using the Paddle service can be found below. Many of these categories are imposed by Card Network rules, or by our payment processors.
By creating an account and selling through Paddle, you are confirming that you will not be accepting payments with any connection to the following business categories and practices.
Prohibited Categories
Physical products or products that require physical delivery.
Human services which are not related to a software offering (e.g. pure consulting or advisory services, including but not limited to legal advice, coaching, and access to a community of experts).
Payment processing where there is no bona fide software or service sold including but not limited to donations, crowdfunding, community access, advertising, and sponsorship.
Any product or service that infringes upon, or enables the infringement upon copyrights, trademarks, terms and conditions, or trade secrets of another party including but not limited to:
resale of any product without a valid reseller certificate
Illicit streaming services
streaming downloaders
software used to burn media and
IPTV
Any product or service that enables unauthorized access to data belonging to another party, including but not limited to:
spyware
phone/device unlocking services
keyloggers
Any product or service that enables non-Paddle Sellers to sell products and services to customers, such as digital marketplaces.
Advertising and marketing:
Advertising Services, including but not limited to job boards, open houses, and social media automation
Marketing Services and Schemes, including but not limited to pyramid schemes, network marketing, referral marketing programs, multi-level marketing, get-rich-quick schemes
Social Media Services or Automated Social Media Marketing including but not limited to those that purport to increase/optimize engagement (posts, clicks, likes, views, reviews)
Mass Marketing Products including but not limited to SMS marketing and Message App marketing
Phone services, telemarketing
Political or Social campaigning
Adult and other age-restricted content and services including sexually-oriented or pornographic products or services, any material of a lewd and lascivious nature, dating services/applications, or any other products/services intended for this industry.
Gambling and gaming:
Betting-related products, competition/event tickets, or entries
lotteries, auctions, contests, sweepstakes, or games of chance
sports forecasting or odds making
fantasy sports leagues
Services that violate end-user agreements in regard to video games or virtual worlds and credits/in-game items
Games where the seller is not the owner and operator
Trading and financial services / advice
Exchanges, dealers, or trading platforms that enable transactions in financial instruments, currencies, or crypto-currencies / virtual currencies
Money transfer services
Virtual currency or stored value, including but not limited to store credit, gift cards, vouchers
Business or investment opportunities
Investment or financial advice, including trading signals and strategies
Credit advice or consulting including credit / mortgage counseling, repair or protection
Credit card and identity theft protection including but not limited to age verification
Government Services including but not limited to embassies, and foreign consulates.
Certifications and exam preparation services, including but not limited to:
essay and paper mills, ghostwriting services
any certifications or courses for which the business is not the owner or creator of the underlying product, or does not have the authority to resell
Travel Services including but not limited to reservation services, travel clubs, timeshares
Digital services associated with pseudo-science including but not limited to clairvoyance, horoscopes, fortune-telling
Medical advice including but not limited to any product or service that provides advice (e.g. weight loss, muscle building)
If you have any questions as to whether your business is included in one or more of these categories please email us.
Restricted Categories
Sellers may only use the Paddle.com checkout in any of the following with specific approval. Paddle may withhold or revoke at its discretion where it finds this to pose an increased risk to Paddle’s business and/or reputation.
Any product resold/distributed under a GNU General Public License where you are not the ultimate rights-holder
Copyrighted Software resellers and partners including but not limited to those pertaining to Microsoft Windows and Apple Inc.
Web Hosting, domain hosting/selling and file storing/sharing services, cyberlockers, and cloud storage
Virtual Private Network (VPN) or proxy services
Email Marketing Services
Human Services such as implementation, training, software programming, and professional services that are related to a software offering
The above lists are reflective of our risk appetite and historical experience with onboarding software sellers and our knowledge of the market environment in which we operate. This is not an exhaustive list as the software landscape is continuously changing, presenting new business models that we must consider and evaluate.