Nowadays, it’s not hard to get classified as an NSFW (Not Safe For Work) merchant, especially if you’re in the adult industry.
While starting a business in the adult sector can be lucrative, it also comes with challenges. That shouldn’t stop you from building a business around NSFW content, though. Managing a high-risk business just isn’t as easy as managing a “typical” business (but then again, managing any business is tough).
The key is understanding the biggest hurdle you’ll need to overcome: payment processing. While most merchants can set up a simple account on Stripe, NSFW content and Stripe don’t mix. So here’s what Stripe’s policy actually says, and what your options are.
See also our comparison of Adyen and Stripe and how they compare to a high-risk merchant account.
Key takeaways
- Stripe lists adult content and services under its prohibited businesses, not its restricted ones, so they can’t use Stripe.
- The prohibited list covers pornography and other mature audience content, adult services such as escorts, fetish services and adult live chat, adult video stores, strip clubs, and AI-generated content that meets the same criteria.
- Stripe says it “can’t currently work with businesses that sell or offer adult content or services”, citing its own requirements, its financial partners’ requirements and risk exposure.
- Stripe reviews every account at activation, and an account can be restricted later because of legal, regulatory or financial partner obligations.
- NSFW merchants need a high-risk merchant account from a provider and acquirer that support adult businesses.
A brief introduction to Stripe’s policies
Stripe is among the top payment processors today because of its developer-friendly tools and modern checkout.
Its ability to handle cross-border transactions, offer multiple payment methods and serve a wide range of low-risk industries makes it the preferred provider for many merchants.
However, Stripe also publishes a long Prohibited and Restricted Businesses list. For many high-risk merchants, that means Stripe isn’t the right solution, and for adult businesses, it isn’t an option at all.
If you’re considering Stripe and your products or services include NSFW content, read Stripe’s policies first so you know what you’re getting into.
If you don’t want to waste your time and money, you shouldn’t work with Stripe if you offer any form of NSFW content. Even if you eventually get approved for an account, you’ll likely end up paying more down the line and you’ll eventually have to get high-risk services anyway. Having to change services will be a massive disruption to your business and ultimately cost you more than if you’d just looked for high-risk specific services to begin with.
Dennis E.R. Pedersen, CEO and Founder of FastoPayments
What Stripe’s restricted businesses list says about adult content
Stripe’s list has two tiers:
- Prohibited businesses: industries that can’t use Stripe at all, plus anything illegal.
- Restricted businesses: industries and products that need additional due diligence and Stripe’s explicit prior approval. Stripe may ask for evidence such as licences, may decline, and can revoke an approval.
Adult content and services sit in the prohibited tier. At the time of writing, Stripe’s list includes:
- adult services, including prostitution, escorts, pay-per-view, sexual massages and fetish services;
- mail-order brides and adult live-chat features;
- adult video stores;
- gentlemen’s clubs, topless bars and strip clubs;
- pornography and other mature audience content designed for the purpose of sexual gratification;
- any AI-generated content that meets the criteria above.
Stripe updates this list from time to time, and some items differ by country, so always check the current version of Stripe’s Prohibited and Restricted Businesses list before you apply.
How other high-risk industries are treated
| Industry | How Stripe’s list treats it |
|---|---|
| Adult content and services | Prohibited |
| Gambling, including casino games, lotteries, sports betting with a prize, and paid skill tournaments | Prohibited |
| Cannabis products and dispensaries | Prohibited |
| CBD with negligible THC within local limits | Restricted (approval needed); CBD above local THC limits is prohibited |
| Online dating and matchmaking | Restricted (approval needed), and prohibited in some countries |
| Tobacco and e-cigarettes sold in line with the law | Restricted (approval needed) |
| Nutraceuticals that are unsafe or make harmful claims | Prohibited |
If your business is in one of these categories, see our pages for gambling, CBD, dating and nutraceutical merchant accounts.
Stripe’s official stance on NSFW content
Since the adult industry is still considered a “controversial” sector, it carries a reputation many financial institutions don’t want to be associated with. Stripe is no exception.
Stripe’s Prohibited and Restricted Businesses List FAQs say:
“For now, due to various reasons, including requirements that apply to Stripe as a payment processor, requirements from our financial partners, and the potential risk exposure to Stripe, we can’t currently work with businesses that sell or offer adult content or services.”
This stance is common in payment processing, and it’s about more than the “taboo” nature of adult content. NSFW businesses bring legal complexity, stricter risk management, more fraud attempts and higher chargeback rates. Card schemes also require acquirers to register and monitor adult merchants, which a platform built for low-risk businesses isn’t set up to do.
Can an NSFW business still end up on Stripe?
Stripe says it independently reviews every account at activation, and that its review “ultimately determines whether a business is supported”. Its FAQs also say an account may be restricted because of legal, regulatory or financial partner obligations, and that in some cases Stripe may not be able to share full details.
In practice, that means an adult business that slips through onboarding is still selling something Stripe’s list prohibits. From our experience, merchants in that position often end up frantically looking for a new payment provider after their account is restricted or terminated, usually with little warning and little explanation.
When a processor closes your account with a vague reason, it’s hard to work out what went wrong or how to fix it. That’s why it’s risky for any high-risk business to put all its eggs in one basket, and why building on a provider that knowingly supports your industry matters.
Alternatives to Stripe for NSFW merchants
Stripe may look like the quickest way to start taking payments, but for an adult business, relying on a platform that prohibits your industry can damage your business more than it’s worth.
The alternative is a high-risk merchant account from a provider whose acquiring partners accept adult merchants. They register you correctly with the card schemes under the right merchant category code, expect your industry’s chargeback profile, and set up reserves and controls for it from the start, instead of discovering your business later and closing the account.
Stripe vs a high-risk merchant account for NSFW businesses
| Stripe | High-risk merchant account | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult content and services | Prohibited | Supported by providers and acquirers that work with adult merchants |
| Onboarding | Fast and largely automated | Manual underwriting with document and website checks |
| Integration | Easy, with many payment methods | Depends on the gateway; plugins, hosted pages and APIs are common |
| Fees | Published standard pricing for supported businesses | Higher, reflecting the risk, and often negotiable |
| Reserves | Applied case by case | Common, especially at the start |
| Account stability for adult merchants | Low, because the industry is prohibited | Higher, because the industry is declared and accepted up front |
Tips for NSFW merchants looking for payment processing
1. Be thorough when preparing your application
When you apply for payment services as an adult merchant, be completely transparent about what you do. Good processors appreciate it, because it makes it easier to find the right acquirer for your business.
Provide comprehensive documentation that represents your business and finances, and show:
- that your business is legal where you operate and sell;
- the measures you take to stay compliant;
- how you keep your operations secure.
Include your transaction history, chargeback rates, dispute history and cash flow forecasts. A thorough application improves your chances of approval.
2. Always maintain compliance
The adult industry is one of the most heavily regulated high-risk sectors, so make sure your business meets the requirements of every country you sell to.
The most important controls for NSFW merchants are robust age verification and content moderation that you can prove. Set clear guidelines for the creators you work with, review content regularly, and keep up with changes in regulation.
For adult merchants, I’d suggest being very knowledgable about local and international laws, because the adult industry puts more restrictions on businesses to get approved for payment processing and other general business. You have to consider the 2257 policy, for example, regarding age verification. It’s all just so much more stringent. Be prepared to jump through those hoops to be considered a ‘decent’ business.
Dennis E.R. Pedersen, CEO and Founder of FastoPayments
3. Learn to manage risks and chargebacks
Chargebacks are one of the most damaging parts of running a high-risk business, and your chargeback ratio is one of the first things an acquirer looks at.
Take a proactive approach: understand the main causes of chargebacks, write clear product descriptions so customers know what they’re buying, use a discreet but recognisable billing descriptor, and put clear refund and cancellation terms where customers can find them. Our guide to preventing chargebacks goes into more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does Stripe allow NSFW content?
No. Stripe lists pornography and other mature audience content designed for sexual gratification among its prohibited businesses, so NSFW businesses can’t use Stripe.
What does Stripe’s restricted businesses list say about adult content?
Adult content and services are on Stripe’s prohibited list. That includes adult services such as escorts, pay-per-view, sexual massages and fetish services, adult live chat, adult video stores, strip clubs, and pornography and other mature audience content.
Does Stripe allow AI-generated adult content?
No. Stripe’s prohibited list includes any AI-generated content that meets the same criteria as the other prohibited adult content.
Why doesn’t Stripe work with adult businesses?
Stripe says it can’t currently work with businesses that sell or offer adult content or services because of requirements that apply to it as a payment processor, requirements from its financial partners, and the potential risk exposure.
What is the difference between prohibited and restricted businesses on Stripe?
Prohibited businesses can’t use Stripe at all. Restricted businesses, such as online dating or low-THC CBD, need additional due diligence and Stripe’s explicit prior approval, which Stripe can decline or revoke.
What happens if Stripe finds out my business is prohibited?
Stripe says an account may be restricted because of legal, regulatory or financial partner obligations, and that it may not always be able to share full details. For a prohibited business, that usually means losing the account.
What payment options do NSFW merchants have?
NSFW merchants need a high-risk merchant account from a provider and acquirer that accept adult businesses and register them correctly with the card schemes.
Next step
If you run an NSFW business, start with a provider that supports your industry instead of hoping a mainstream platform won’t notice. Fasto works with adult, subscription, nutraceutical, gaming, dating and hospitality merchants. Approval typically takes two to three weeks.
Get a free, no-obligation quote for a high-risk adult merchant account.
