What are these registration requirements?
Visa and Mastercard each run a programme that requires certain merchants to be registered before they can accept card payments. Visa's version is the Visa Integrity Risk Program (VIRP), which replaced what was previously known as the Global Brand Protection Program. Mastercard's equivalent is the Specialty Merchant Registration Program. Both exist to help the schemes manage merchants operating in business categories that are legal, but which carry a higher risk to health, safety, financial stability, or regulatory compliance.
If your business operates in one of these categories, you will need to be registered before you can accept card payments with us.
Which business categories does this apply to?
Registration is generally required for businesses operating in categories such as online gambling, dating services, tobacco, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange and contracts for difference (CFDs), skill-based games offering cash prizes, and certain telemarketing models. These categories are not prohibited - they are flagged because the scheme considers them more likely to involve risks to health, safety, or finances, or to attract regulatory scrutiny. Some categories require registration for every merchant in them; for others, it depends on exactly what your business does.
Does registration mean your business is banned from accepting payments?
No. Registration is a compliance step, not a restriction on trading. Once you are registered - something we manage on your behalf - you can continue accepting card payments as normal, in line with any additional requirements the scheme sets for your category.
Who pays for registration?
Visa and Mastercard both charge a registration fee as part of these programmes, renewed annually for as long as registration is required. This fee is mandated by the schemes - it is non-negotiable and cannot be waived. As a Payment Service Provider, we are required to register eligible merchants with the schemes, and we pass the fee on to you.
Registration is managed at an organisation level, so it generally only needs to happen once across your profiles. We will confirm this with you before onboarding is completed, so there are no surprises once you start trading.
Does this apply to American Express too?
No. These registration requirements are specific to Visa and Mastercard; American Express does not operate an equivalent programme.
Where can the official rules be found?
The full, current rules are published directly by the schemes, including the Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules and Mastercard's Security Rules and Procedures. As these rules are updated periodically, the schemes' own publications are the definitive source.