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NSFW on Stripe: Do They Allow NSFW Merchants?

NSFW sign on top of a red velvet background

Nowadays, it seems like 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 pretty lucrative, it also comes with several challenges. That shouldn’t stop you from trying to build a business around NSFW content, though! Managing a high-risk business just isn’t as easy as managing a “typical” business would be (but then again…managing any business is pretty tough).

The key? Understanding the biggest hurdles you’ll need to overcome — namely, navigating payment processing. While most merchants can set up a simple account on Stripe, NSFW content and Stripe don’t mix well. So, here’s what you need to know about working with payment processors.

A Brief Introduction to Stripe’s Policies

Stripe is among the top payment processors today due to its robust service offerings and modern solutions. 

Their ability to facilitate cross-border transactions, offer multiple payment methods, and cater to almost all low-risk industries, makes them the preferred service provider for many merchants nowadays.

However, they’re also known for their strict requirements and a long list of restricted businesses they won’t work with. For high-risk merchants, unfortunately, this means that Stripe usually isn’t the best solution.

In fact, even if you wanted to work with them, you probably couldn’t, as they avoid working with high-risk businesses due to the potential risk exposure (i.e., they care about their reputation) and the requirements set by Stripe’s financial partners. 

If you don’t believe us, then just take a look at Stripe’s policies to understand what you’re getting into, especially if you’ve decided to choose Stripe as your payment processor and your service or products include NSFW content. 

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 Pedersen FastoPayments

Stripe’s Terms of Service

The terms of service set by Stripe include a list of prohibited and restricted businesses. This list includes all illegal products and services, obviously, along with high-risk industries like CBD, gambling, and the adult industry.

The aim of these restrictions is to protect both Stripe and its users from legal and reputational risks. It doesn’t, however, mean they aren’t willing to offer their services to any high-risk business.

So basically…

Stripe’s onboarding process ultimately determines whether they’ll support a business or not. 

Stripe’s Stance on NSFW Content

Since the adult industry is still considered a “controversial” sector, it carries with it a reputation that financial institutions often don’t want to be associated with. The same goes for Stripe. 

💡 Here’s Stripe’s official stands on NSFW content, taken from the Stripe Support Prohibited and Restricted Business List – FAQs:

“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.”

While this might seem like an annoying and outdated stance on NSFW content from Stripe, it’s common in the payment processing industry, and it’s due to several factors beyond simply the ‘taboo’ nature of adult content.

NSFW content often brings with it legal complexities, increased risk management and likelihood of fraud, and higher chargeback rates. The hard-to-navigate regulatory environments of such trades make it difficult for processors of all kinds to deal with a business without risking huge financial losses.

All of the factors above also contribute to the public perception of businesses that choose to work with high-risk entrepreneurs, particularly those who offer NSFW content.

After all, Stripe has to consider whether or not a potential business will look ‘improper’ and choose whether to work with them or maintain a ‘professional’ image (whatever that means) to remain respectable in other industries that are more white-collar.

What NSFW Merchants Have to Say About Stripe

As mentioned above, the likelihood of you securing a merchant account with Stripe as a high-risk merchant isn’t high, but it’s not impossible, as it ultimately depends on the review your business will go through when applying for a Stripe merchant account.

There are cases where businesses that do distribute services that include NSFW content work with Stripe for long periods of time with minimal complications.

From our experience, however, we’ve seen merchants left frantically looking for payment service providers after having their accounts frozen or terminated by a big processor like Stripe due to unforeseen changes in laws and regulations. 

When a processor closes your account with no explanation (or vague, copy-and-paste reasons), it’s tough to figure out what you, as a merchant, did wrong. Typically, though, this happens because Stripe simply can’t offer a personalized approach to businesses operating in high-risk trades due to their high demand.

So, they just terminate your account to cut their losses. This makes it even riskier for a high-risk business to put all its eggs in one basket, and that is exactly why one should look for alternative options and consider load-balancing.

One Reddit user said, for example, “Stripe has banned us again with a 2-day notice. Suspended all the connected express accounts and the reason is again the same ridiculous one: Your business goes against our TOS. While a competitor copied all of our features and is working fine.”

This proves that it simply isn’t reliable enough. The same user then went on to describe how they are now watching all of their customers go to the competitor as an alternative, with tears in their eyes. It sounds like every high-risk business owner’s nightmare…

Red file envelope in a drawer full of envelops

Alternatives to Stripe for NSFW Merchants

While Stripe may seem like the easiest and quickest option for getting a merchant account, if you’re not careful, working with the platform could end up damaging your business more than it’s worth.

Thankfully, there are service providers on the market today that offer specialized solutions with merchant accounts designed for high-risk environments. A high-risk processor, in most cases, is going to be your best bet if you’re distributing NSFW content as a part of your business.

This is because the only ones who can actually help you stay compliant, ensure safe transactions, and protect your business from losing money are high-risk service providers who can keep up with demand without damaging the quality of their service.

This is especially true in the adult industry, where the industry as a whole is one big regulatory hurdle and a fairly easy target for people committing cyber fraud.

At FastoPayments, we have years of experience working with businesses in high-risk industries and we’ve always held the adult business close to our hearts. We know exactly how difficult it can be to find the right payment partner who’s willing to take on the risks inherent in this trade. 

The carefully designed services we provide to help your business grow and succeed include:

  • Risk assessment and mitigation

  • Ensuring compliance with regulatory standards

  • Growth strategies

  • Multi-currency processing

  • Different payment methods

  • Extra security tools 

  • 24/7 specialized support

A series of lock icons connecting digital devices to a central POS system, illustrating encrypted payment processing for high-risk businesses.

Pros & Cons of Stripe Alternatives for High-Risk Merchants

At the end of the day, big platforms and their alternatives have their pros and cons — there’s no one perfect platform (although we’d argue FastoPayments gets pretty close!).

We’ve highlighted each to help you choose and understand what you’re getting into when exploring Stripe for NSFW content payment processing.

Pros of Stripe:

  • Easy integration

  • Several payment methods

  • Multi-currency processing

  • Very accessible to businesses around the world

  • Easily understandable on-boarding procedure

Cons of Stripe:

  • Their stance on NSFW content

  • Increasing rates

  • Not high-risk friendly

  • No specialized tools for riskier businesses

  • High risk of having your account closed due to vague reasons

  • No dedicated customer support

  • No clear guidelines for businesses they support

Pros of an alternative service provider:

  • Personalized approach 

  • Customized payment methods

  • Risk mitigation and prevention strategies

  • Dedicated support

  • Tailored security tools

  • Negotiable rates

  • Fees reflect the quality of service

  • Case-by-case solutions 

Cons of an alternative service provider:

  • Higher fees

  • Difficulty in differentiating a quality processor from a lower tier provider

So, while Stripe has its advantages, alternative providers, like FastoPayments, who know the ins and outs of high-risk, could do a lot more for your business’s growth in the long-term.

You can't call Stripe — you can only reach out via email. In our own experience, and from working with other high-risk merchants, when you do get a response, you only get cookie-cutter answers. You never get specific answers to your problems, meaning it's complicated to figure out what you did or how to fix it. FastoPayments, on the other hand, offers 24/7, dedicated support. We're here to help you solve your specific issues as quickly as possible.

Dennis Pedersen FastoPayments

Tips for NSFW Merchants Looking for Payment Processing Services

Over the years, FastoPayments has helped numerous high-risk businesses reach their full potential. Through this kind of trial-and-error, we’ve grown to love finding new ways to solve problems and different approaches to best aid a business’s success.

Combine the basics with industry-specific knowledge, experience, and our team of payment enthusiasts, and you’ve got the whole package. To help you see the value in that kind of service, our experts put together a quick checklist for a high-risk merchant looking for payment processing services.

1. Be Thorough When Preparing Your Application

When preparing to apply for payment services as an adult merchant, it’s important to be very transparent about what you do. High-quality processors appreciate this kind of transparency, as it makes it easier for them to find the best solution for your business. 

What does this mean for an NSFW merchant, though? It means it’s wise to present yourself as authentically as possible. Provide comprehensive documentation that best represents your financial and business operations. 

Demonstrate the:

  • Legality of your business

  • Measures you take to stay compliant

  • Steps you take for secure operations on your own

Also, include your transaction history, chargeback rates, dispute claims, and cash flow forecasts. Being thorough in your application process can increase the likelihood of approval and put you in a better light in the eyes of the processors.

2. Ensure You’re Always Maintaining Compliance

The adult industry is one of the most highly regulated trades within the high-risk niche. This means that it’s important for you to always do everything on your end to ensure your business is compliant and meets the standard requirements set out by your local government (at the very least).

If you offer NSFW content within the adult sector, one of the most important compliance factors to implement is robust age verification measures. You’ll also want to ensure (and be able to prove) how your business monitors the content.

We suggest establishing clear guidelines for the content creators you work with, conduct regular reviews, and stay up-to-date with changes in regulations

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 Pedersen FastoPayments

3. Learn to Manage Risks and Chargebacks

Chargebacks are one of the most annoying and damaging aspects of most high-risk businesses.

That’s why it’s so important to take a proactive approach to prevent chargebacks and keep your chargeback rate at a healthy level. For payment processors, this is an indicator of how well you manage your finances.

To keep your chargeback rate low, work to understand the basic causes of chargebacks.

Another good practice is to implement clear and detailed product descriptions to ensure your customers know what to expect when they purchase anything from you.

Having clearly understandable return terms and policies in a specific place on your website can help prevent excessive chargebacks, too.

Get an NSFW Merchant Account with FastoPayments

The bottom line is that it’s important for NSFW merchants to really understand the policies of payment service providers and explore alternative options that better cater to their specific needs as a high-risk business.

Despite the advantages big platforms like Stripe offer, the varying terms and restrictions could cost you a lot down the line. 

On the contrary, high-risk payment providers like FastoPayments can take a more personalized approach to finding the best solution for your business

 If you’re a high-risk business owner looking for better payment processing options than Stripe, get a free, no-obligation quote for a high-risk merchant account here.

Get reliable NSFW payment processing

FastoPayments ensures your transactions are not only secure but also simplified, making your customer’s payment experience hassle-free. Enjoy real-time monitoring, fraud prevention tools, and chargeback dispute assistance.
There are years of industry experience behind our high-risk merchant guides and tips...