American Express OptBlue - High-Risk/Prohibited Industries

Background

American Express OptBlue considers the following industry categories to be high-risk. Participants can sign merchants for the following categories but must obtain supporting documentation prior to signing. Participants must be ready to provide documentation within 48 hours of the request (additional documentation may be requested). This includes the Merchant Application, Merchant Financial Statements, and other credit due diligence documentation.

American Express maintains a list of prohibited industries in the American Express OptBlue Operating Rules. Participants must not sign any Merchants that fall into one of these categories. This list is effective April 2023 and is subject to change. Changes are communicated in the April and October Compliance Bulletins.

Merchant Exclusion

American Express maintains a list of Merchants that are not eligible to participate in the American Express OptBlue Program. Please refer to the Merchant Exclusion List of the April 2023 US Operating Regulations for the most current listing.

High-Risk Category	MCC	Supporting Documentation
Bail/Bail Bond (Fee Only)	9223	Ensure that the Merchant only submits transactions for the bail bond fee. American Express reserves the right to exercise chargeback(s) for transactions submitted for actual bail or bail bond payments.
Charitable and Social Service Organizations (classified as non-profit, non-political charitable organizations and accepting payment for tax-deductible donations)	8398	Provide proof of tax-exempt status with a regulating tax authority or local council in accordance with applicable law.
Dating Services	7273	Provide proof the Sponsored Merchant Prospect is a legitimate dating service and does not provide services that: Accepts payment directly or indirectly for potentially sexual-related services (escort or strippers). Promote or provide sexual services in return for payment (such as prostitution). A Sponsored Merchant Prospect that provides services in either scenario is prohibited and must not be signed. In the event the Sponsored Merchant Prospect is an online dating service, the participant shall perform minimum verification and monitoring processes (such as using an automated web scanning service, capturing screenshot images upon acquisition, or conducting periodic and ongoing website reviews) to ensure compliance with these additional verification requirements are met.
Digital File Hosting (Cyberlockers)	4816	Obtain proof that the Sponsored Merchant Prospect possesses the necessary registration and licensure required in compliance with all applicable laws. Perform minimum verification and monitoring processes (such as using an automated web scanning service, capturing screenshot images upon acquisition, or conducting periodic and ongoing website reviews) to monitor illegal digital content including pornography, child pornography, pirated digital content, copyright infringement, and criminal acts.
Installment Payment Providers (also referred to as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL))	5999	Ensure that a BNPL Program Merchant Prospect meets the eligibility requirements prior to accepting the card under the program, in accordance with Section8.3, of the April 2023 US Operating Regulations.
Online Pharmacy	5912	Provide attestation in the format provided in Appendix C, or a different format as long as all the information is included. Provide compliance with the licensing and inspection requirements of the US Federal law and the State in which the Sponsored Merchant Prospect is located and each State to which it dispenses, pharmaceuticals, or proof that the pharmacy is certified by the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS). Retain hard copies of this requisite for 7 years.
Online Tobacco, including e-Cigarettes	5993	Obtain attestation in the format provided in Appendix C, PA must retain notarized copies of the documents for 7 years.
Massage Parlors	7297	Obtain proof that the Program Merchant Prospect is a legitimate therapeutic massage parlor, possesses the necessary licensure specializing in providing therapeutic massage services, and does not provide services that: Accept payment directly or indirectly for potentially sexual-related services. Promote or provide sexual services in return for payment (such as prostitution). A Program Merchant Prospect that provides services in either scenario is prohibited and must not be signed.
Political Organizati0ons	8651	Obtain proof that the Program Merchant Prospect is: Registered as a political party and is a candidate at the Federal, State/Provisional, or Local Level Registered as a tax-exempt organization (such as articles of incorporation, online tool to verify non-profit status with tax authority) Required in compliance with all applicable laws.
Securities Broker/Dealer	6211	Ensure that the Program Merchant only submits transactions for the securities broker or dealer’s fee. America Express reserves the right to exercise chargeback(s) for transactions submitted for the purchase of securities, stocks, bonds, commodities, or mutual funds.
Travel Agencies and Tour Operations	4722	The participant is exempt from being required to (i) collect and provide evidence that such SMP is a member of a travel industry bonding organization (i.e., ARC, TCO, or IATA) and (ii) submit additional enhanced data reqs set forth in Sub Section 5.10, Travel/Cruise Industry Specific Transaction Advice Addendum (TAA) Record of the American Express Global Financial Submission Guide, provided that the Program Merchant is not identified as a High CV Merchant.

Prohibited Industries

Prohibited Category	MCC	Description
Airlines and Air Carriers (including Charter Airlines)	3000 – 3302 4511	All airline and air carrier Merchants, including charter airlines.
Bail/Bail Bond	9223	A sum of money paid by a criminal defendant to be released from jail under the condition that they appear for court appearances (this does not include a bail bond fee).
Bankruptcy Services	-	A company or agency that is in the business of recovering money owed on delinquent accounts or supporting the bankruptcy process.
Bullion	-	Bulk Metal in bars or ingot: Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars Precious metals
Car Rental Agencies	3351 – 3441	Branded car rental agencies such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, etc.
Cash at Point-of-Sale/Cash on Card	6010 6011 6051	Cash-like transactions from financial and non-financial institutions.
Check Cashing/Guarantee	-	A business that provides customers with a way to turn a check into cash without having to rely on a bank account.
Child Pornography	-	An individual or entity providing or associated with the visual depiction of a minor engaged in obscene or sexually explicit conduct, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means.
Collection Agencies	7322	A company that lenders use to recover funds that are past due. Examples include debt collection agencies, factoring companies, and liquidators.
Commercial Leasing	6513	A business that conveys land, real estate, equipment, or other property to another for a specified time in return for a regular periodic payment. Examples include commercial real estate and commercial vehicles, such as trucks and marine vessels. This does not include residential real estate agents and managers for rentals.
Credit Financing	6010 6011 6012 6051	A merchant that provides financing to customers, earning revenue on that financing via fees or interest: Credit Cards Personal Loans Student Loans Car Loans Mortgage Payments
Credit Restoration	-	A service aimed at improving credit ratings by disputing errors and outdated claims with credit bureaus.
Debt Repayment (past due or defaulted)	7322	A company collecting payment of overdue debt. Some examples include a payment to a collection agency, factoring company, liquidator, or insolvency practitioner/lawyer.
Door-to-Door Sales	5963	Unsolicited individual (who might go door-to-door) selling goods or services with immediate payment expected.
Escort Services	-	A business, agency, or person who, for a fee, provides or offers to provide a companion.
Foreign Exchange	6051	A business or financial institution that has the legal right to exchange one currency for another currency.
Gambling	7800 7802 7995	The wagering of money or something of value on an event with an uncertain outcome, with the primary intent of winning money or material goods. Regulated (real money) betting, including casino, poker, sports betting, or lottery tickets Advance-deposit wagering, including horse/dog racing Fantasy sports Skill-based, pay-to-play games that award monetary prizes Games of chance that are not free to enter and award monetary prizes Government-owned and other lotteries Gambling chips Gambling credits
Indirect Acceptor Models	-	A payment intermediary that contracts with American Express to facilitate payments to multiple, eligible third-party End Beneficiaries. The indirect acceptor accepts the card, but does not send the card information to the end beneficiary and pays eligible end beneficiaries using another method, such as bank transfer, check, or wire. Bill payment providers Stages digital wallets Stored value digital facility wallets (top-up wallets) Peer-to-peer wallets Centralized payment platforms Installment payment providers (BNPL) who do not meet the eligibility requirements set forth in Chapter 8, Specific Industries
Investments	-	A purchase made for speculative purposes, or with the intent of future profit or appreciation. Securities (stock, bonds, commodities, and mutual funds) Wine with a delivery that exceeds one (1) year from purchase Investment on futures
Licensed Insolvency Practitioners	-	A professional intermediary in insolvency procedures.
Lodging – Hotels, Motels, Resorts (including “branded” Central Reservation Services)	3501- 3999	Branded lodging establishments (such as Best Western, Hilton, and Marriott).
Marijuana-related Businesses	-	Any individual or entity that manufacturers, processes, distributes, or dispenses marijuana, or byproducts or derivatives of marijuana, whether for recreational or medicinal purposes, and whether or not subject to a governmental licensing regime.
Multi-Level Marketing or Pyramid Selling (also referred to as Direct Marketing – Inbound/Outbound Telemarketing)	5966 5967	A sakes system that uses one or more of the following practices: Participants pay money for the right to receive compensation for recruiting new participants A participant is required to buy a specific quantity of products, other than at cost price for the purpose of advertising before the participant is allowed to join the plan or advance within the plan Participants are knowingly sold commercially unreasonable quantities of the product or products (this practice is called inventory loading) Participants are not allowed to return products on reasonable commercial terms
Online Adult Entertainment	-	A business or entity that provides adult digital content.
Payday Lending	-	A company that lends customers money at high-interest rates on the agreement that the loan will be repaid when the borrower receives their next paycheck.
Person-to-Person Payments	6538	A service that allows customers to transfer their funds from their bank account or credit card to another individual’s account via the internet or a mobile device.
Postal Services – Government Only	9402	Government-owned postal offices that provides a variety of services such as accepting and processing packages and mail for delivery and selling postage stamps.
Prostitution	-	A person or business providing sexual services in return for payment.
Real Estate Down Payments	6012 6051	An initial payment when the real estate is bought on credit.
Steamships and Cruise Lines (including onboard cruise shops)	4411	Steamship and cruise line merchants.
Telemarketing – Travel-related	5962	A business that telemarkets travel-related products or services or other travel arrangements.
Timeshares	7012	Selling partial ownership of a property for use as a holiday home, whereby a cardmember can buy the rights to use the property for the same fixed period annually.
Virtual Current/Crypto Currency	6051	Digital money not authorized or adopted by a government issued and controlled by its developers, and used and accepted among members of a specific virtual community.
Wire Transfers In-person (not online)	4829	A business that specialized in the transfer of money from one location to another.

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