High-Risk Business Review in Ghana

Due to the guidelines from the card schemes (Visa and Mastercard), we are not able to support card transactions for some businesses in the high-risk category in Ghana.

This means that if you sign up as a Ghanaian business on Paystack under the listed categories, you’ll have only the mobile money and USSD (coming soon) payment channels by default, and your customers can’t pay you with their card or Apple Pay.

However, for certain categories highlighted below, we may be able to enable the card channel after conducting further reviews and obtaining additional KYC documents.

Categories not supported for card transactions

If your business falls under any of the following categories, you’ll not have access to receive card payments on Paystack, including local and international card payments and Apple Pay. However, your customers can pay you via the mobile money channel and USSD (coming soon), and you will still have access to our other services, e.g., transfers.

• Dating and Escort Services
• Direct Marketing: Inbound Telemarketing Merchants
• Direct Marketing: Outbound Telemarketing Merchants
• Direct Marketing: Travel-Related Arrangement Services
• Non-Face-to-Face Tobacco Products Merchants
• Non-face-to-face Adult Content and Services Merchants
• Pawn Shops
• Skill games merchants
• Precious stones jewellery
• Computer Network/Information Services, for the sale of access to cyberlockers or remote digital file-sharing services, internet service providers, etc.
• Digital goods: games, for Transactions involving skilled game wagering (for example: daily fantasy sports)
• Non-Fiat Currency and Liquid and Cryptocurrency Assets (for example, Cryptocurrency, Money Orders [Not Money Transfer], Travelers Cheques, and Debt Repayment), for the sale of cryptocurrencies, etc.

Categories that require further review for card transactions

If your business falls under any of the following categories, we may still be able to process card transactions for you, but additional documentation will be required. If you’re interested, please email us at support@paystack.com so we can guide you through the KYC process.

• Non-Face-to-Face Prescription Drug and Pharmaceutical Merchants
• Betting, including Lottery Tickets, Casino Gaming Chips, Off-Track Betting, and Wagers at Race Tracks.
• Security Brokers / Dealers (Fintech: investments, Forex, etc.)
• Quasi Cash / Non-Financial Institutions: Foreign Currency
• Financial Institutions: Merchandise & Services

Pricing for card transactions for businesses in high-risk categories

There are no pricing changes for card transactions for high-risk businesses, except those in the betting category. 

For more information about the high-risk categories listed above, please refer to the guides listed below:

• Mastercard Merchant Category Reference Booklet: https://mastercard.us/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/quick-reference-booklet-merchant.pdf
• Visa Merchant Data Standard Manual: https://usa.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/download/merchants/visa-merchant-data-standards-manual.pdf

If you have any questions about accepting card transactions for your business, contact our support team via the live chat option on your dashboard, call us at +233 596 992990, or email support@paystack.com.