Are there merchant category restrictions for Halocard?
Halocard generally works wherever Visa, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted, however, some physical and online stores (merchants) represent a higher risk to our card issuing and banking partners. These types of transactions typically have a higher probability of fraud and chargebacks and are regulated or illegal in some jurisdictions.
If a merchant falls into one of the following categories, your payment may be declined even if the merchant appears legitimate or claims they accept credit cards:
Prohibited Categories | Description |
|---|---|
Adult & escort services | Adult content, pornography, entertainment, and companionship platforms. This excludes OnlyFans which is supported (see article). |
Crypto | Buying/selling/trading cryptocurrency or digital currencies (e.g. Banxa, Coinbase, Kraken) |
Dark web / Cybercrime | Dark web marketplaces; hacking, malware, ransomware, exploit services |
Data brokerage | Unauthorized personal data or privacy-violating data brokerage |
Drugs | Illegal drugs; marijuana/cannabis/CBD where not fully legal and properly licensed |
Endangered wildlife | Endangered species/wildlife products; CITES-violating items |
Hazardous materials | Regulated chemicals/materials without required approvals/documentation |
High-risk activity | Anything that creates legal, regulatory, or reputational risk |
Illegal marketplaces | Unlicensed auction sites/marketplaces facilitating illegal activity |
Money transfer & quasi-cash | Money orders, account funding or peer-to-peer transfers (e.g. Western Union, Revolut, Wise, PayPal, Xoom) |
Predatory lending | Payday loans and other unregulated/predatory financial services |
Tobacco & nicotine | Tobacco products and nicotine products (including vapes) |
Unregulated Pharma | Unlicensed online pharmacies; pharmaceuticals from unregulated sources |
Weapons | Firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons |
Updated on: 22/06/2026