Acceptable Use Policy

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Prime Merchant Group

Effective Date: October 6, 2025
Entity: Prime Merchant Group, LLC (“PMG,” “we,” “us,” or “our”)
Contact: sales@primemerchantgroup.com

1. Scope; Incorporation

1.1. This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) governs all access to and use of PMG websites, applications, and payment-gateway services powered by NMI (collectively, the “Services”).
1.2. This AUP is incorporated by reference into, and forms part of, your Merchant Gateway Agreement and any other agreement you have with PMG (each, an “Agreement”).
1.3. In the event of conflict, the Agreement controls, except where Card Brand Rules, Acquirer/processor requirements, or applicable law require stricter standards.

2. Definitions

“Acquirer” means the acquiring bank or processor that provides merchant acquiring services supporting the Services.
“Card Brand Rules” means rules, bylaws, operating regulations, and guidance of Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and any other payment network (collectively, the “Payment Networks”).
“Merchant,” “you,” or “your” means the entity or person using the Services.
“MCC” means merchant category code assigned under Card Brand Rules.
“PCI DSS” means the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

3. General Use Requirements

You must:
a) Comply with all applicable laws and regulations, Card Brand Rules, PCI DSS, and your Acquirer/processor agreement(s).
b) Use the Services only for your own bona fide business. No aggregation, resale, factoring, transaction laundering, or processing for any third party without PMG’s prior written approval.
c) Maintain clear, conspicuous customer disclosures, including pricing, refund/return terms, delivery timeframes, and customer support contacts.
d) Prevent, detect, and promptly remediate fraud, card testing, and excessive disputes; cooperate with PMG reviews or audits.
e) Never store full PAN or sensitive authentication data in clear text; complete and retain the applicable PCI SAQ (e.g., SAQ-A or SAQ-A-EP) annually and upon material change.

4. Prohibited Activities and Content (Non-Exhaustive)

You may not use the Services for any activity that is illegal, unsafe, deceptive, or restricted by Card Brand Rules, Acquirer requirements, or this AUP, including:
a) Illegal products/services; promotion of unlawful activity; sanctions-evading transactions.
b) IP infringement or unlawful content (counterfeits, piracy); hacking tools; malware/ransomware/spyware; credential-stuffing kits.
c) Adult sexual content/services (pornography, live cams, escorting, sexual massage, prostitution).
d) Gambling and betting (casinos, sportsbooks, fantasy contests with entry fees, lotteries, sweepstakes with consideration).
e) Drugs and paraphernalia (controlled substances, unlicensed pharmacies, steroids, “research chemicals,” drug kits); cannabis/THC/Delta-8/Kratom/CBD (including derivatives), regardless of state law.
f) Weapons/explosives (firearms, ammunition, silencers, explosive materials), restricted tactical knives, or illegal self-defense items.
g) High-risk financial schemes (payday lending, debt consolidation/repair, factoring without approval, HYIPs, multi-level marketing that fails to meet all legal requirements).
h) Cryptocurrency mixing/tumbling, privacy coins designed to obscure source of funds, unregistered money transmission.
i) Deceptive practices (negative-option/forced continuity without explicit consent and easy cancellation, bait-and-switch, fake reviews).
j) High-chargeback or cardholder-abusive models (no-refund policies for undelivered services, “get-rich-quick,” timeshare resale clubs).
k) Hate/violence/terrorism content; incitement or fundraising for illegal activities.
l) Illegal telecommunications equipment/services; illegal IPTV/streaming; SIM boxes.
m) Data brokering of personal data without a clear lawful basis and consent; sale of card data or access credentials.
n) Prohibited MCCs/use cases as determined by Payment Networks/Acquirer (including, by example only: 5967 inbound teleservices, 5966 outbound telemarketing, 7995 betting/casino gambling, 5962 direct-marketing travel, 6051 quasi-cash, 4829 money transfer, 6211 securities brokers) without PMG’s prior written approval.

Note: The foregoing is illustrative, not exhaustive. PMG, the Acquirer, and the Payment Networks may update or expand restrictions at any time.

5. Restricted Categories Requiring Pre-Approval

The following categories require PMG and Acquirer prior written approval and may be subject to enhanced underwriting, controls, or monitoring. Absent explicit approval, they are prohibited:
a) Subscription/recurring billing including trial-to-paid or negative-option models.
b) Ticketing/resale; travel aggregators/OTAs; marketplaces/platforms.
c) Charities and nonprofits (proof of tax status required); political fundraising where legally permitted.
d) Nutraceuticals/supplements with health claims; regulated medical devices; telehealth.
e) Digital goods with elevated fraud risk (downloadable keys, gift cards, prepaid products).
f) Cross-border transactions with heightened sanctions/fraud exposure.

6. Prohibited Conduct With the Services

You must not:
a) Misrepresent goods/services, MCC, descriptor, or merchant/geography; route transactions through another merchant or entity (transaction laundering).
b) Circumvent surcharging rules; surcharge debit where prohibited; exceed network or state caps.
c) Use the Services for card testing or to store, mine, harvest, or aggregate cardholder data.
d) Interfere with, disrupt, or overload the Services (including DDoS or automated scraping beyond reasonable use).
e) Share gateway credentials or permit unvetted third parties to submit transactions through your account.

7. Reviews, Audits, and Monitoring

7.1. PMG may request information, including KYC/KYB materials, invoices, fulfillment records, and complaint logs; may conduct website/app reviews; and may require remedial actions.
7.2. PMG may, with or without notice, suspend or terminate the Services, block or decline transactions, or apply controls (e.g., reserves, velocity limits, refunds/void limits) where PMG, the Acquirer, or a Payment Network identifies suspected or actual AUP violations, excessive disputes/fraud, or brand/Acquirer risk.
7.3. PMG may report suspected unlawful activity to the Acquirer, Payment Networks, or law enforcement.

8. Fines, Assessments, and Liability

You are responsible for all fines, assessments, fees, chargeback liabilities, and costs imposed by Payment Networks, the Acquirer, regulators, or law enforcement arising from your use of the Services, violation of this AUP, or non-compliance with Card Brand Rules, PCI DSS, or applicable law. PMG may debit or set off such amounts in accordance with the Agreement.

9. Changes to this AUP

PMG may update this AUP at any time. The Effective Date above reflects the latest version. Your continued use of the Services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised AUP.

10. Order of Precedence; Survival

10.1. If this AUP conflicts with stricter requirements under Card Brand Rules, Acquirer requirements, or law, the stricter requirement governs.
10.2. Sections 7–10 survive termination of the Services.

11. Notices; Contacts

Pre-approval requests and category questions: sales@primemerchantgroup.com
Report suspected abuse or security issues: sales@primemerchantgroup.com

Prohibited Businesses — Summary Reference (Non-Exhaustive): adult content/services; gambling/betting; drugs/cannabis/derivatives; weapons/explosives; IP infringement/hacking/malware; deceptive or abusive billing; data brokering without lawful basis; hate/violence/terror; telecom or streaming piracy; unregistered money transmission or crypto mixing; quasi-cash/money transfer/securities without approval; prohibited or restricted MCCs without prior written approval.