Stripe publishes a list of businesses it does not support, and of businesses it supports only after extra review. If you sell regulated products, that list decides whether you can use Stripe at all. This explainer covers how the list works and where several common categories stood when we last checked, in September 2026. It is written for merchants who already know their products and want to understand how the list treats them.
Restricted and prohibited are different
Prohibited businesses cannot use Stripe.
Restricted businesses may be able to use Stripe, but they require additional due diligence before they can. Approval is not permanent, either. An approval for a restricted business can be revoked later.
If your category is restricted, be ready to explain what you sell, how you sell it, and which rules apply to you. Keep the documents that support those answers, and keep them current.
Neither label is a ruling on whether a product is legal where you sell it. A product can be legal and still be prohibited on Stripe. A product can appear on no list at all and still be illegal in a market you ship to. Stripe’s list and the law are separate questions, and you need to answer both.
Where some regulated categories stood in September 2026
- CBD. Products with negligible THC are restricted. Products with THC above local legal limits are prohibited.
- Telehealth. Restricted.
- Tobacco and e-cigarettes. Restricted.
- Supplements. Generally allowed. Products sold with harmful or outrageous claims are prohibited.
- Research chemicals. Incorrectly labeled research chemicals are prohibited. Stripe’s FAQ adds that peptides sold with no stated purpose are treated as being for human consumption.
These are short summaries. The exact wording, conditions and examples are on Stripe’s list and in its FAQ, and the details matter. Several entries depend on how a product is labeled, marketed or sold, not only on what it is.
That last point deserves a plain statement. A label only means something if the rest of the listing, the marketing and the way the product is sold match it. A disclaimer cannot make a product something it is not.
Stripe decides, and the rules change
Only Stripe decides whether your business is eligible for a Stripe account. No vendor can make that decision for you. Claddr does not review applications for Stripe and cannot get a merchant approved.
The list also changes. Categories move between restricted and prohibited, and wording gets clarified. Card network rules, bank policies and laws change too, and those changes can affect your account even when your business stays the same. What was true in September 2026 may not be true when you read this.
How to use the list
- Read the current list and FAQ before you apply. Read the originals, not a summary of them, including this one.
- Find the entry that describes your products most closely. If more than one could apply, read all of them.
- Read the conditions, not only the heading.
- If you are unsure where your business fits, ask Stripe before you start taking payments.
- Check the list again when you add products or enter a new market, and from time to time even when nothing has changed.
- Keep a short note of which entry you rely on, why, and the date you checked it.
Where Claddr fits
Claddr is software for merchants in regulated categories. It helps you run the controls you have committed to, such as qualifying who can buy and recording what happened on each order. It works alongside your own Stripe account.
Claddr does not change what Stripe allows. It is not a way around any entry on the list, and it is not a substitute for reading the list yourself. If your business is prohibited, no software makes it eligible.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.