How to Accept Payments for Restricted Products on Shopify UK

Name: Wallid Pay by Bank for Shopify
Brand: Wallid
Rating: 4.9 (105 reviews)

Pay-by-Bank / Blog / How to Accept Payments for Restricted Products on Shopify UK

Selling alcohol, vapes, supplements, or adult products on Shopify in the UK? If so, you’ve probably run into blocked checkouts, disapproved products, or frozen accounts. That’s because Shopify Payments and many major processors don’t support high-risk or age-restricted goods—even when you’re fully licensed and compliant.For UK merchants, this creates a frustrating gap between legal compliance and payment processing. Fortunately, there are better payment options that are secure, FCA-regulated, and fully compatible with Shopify.

Key Takeaways:

Shopify Payments blocks many restricted product categories in the UK
Third-party payment gateways are required for legal, compliant checkout
Pay by Bank enables secure, direct payments—no card networks, no bans
Wall ID provides built-in age verification for age-restricted products
Ideal for UK merchants selling alcohol, vapes, supplements, or adult items

Why Shopify Payments Blocks Regulated Products

Shopify prohibits the use of its built-in payment system (Shopify Payments) for many regulated products:

Alcohol
Nicotine and vaping products
Supplements
Adult items or content

While you can list and sell these products, you can’t use Shopify Payments—forcing merchants to find a high-risk payment processor that works in the UK.

This causes:

Failed checkouts
Account holds
Inconsistent payment reliability

What Merchants Need: A Shopify Payments Alternative (UK)

To stay compliant and profitable, merchants selling restricted goods need a payment processor that:

Supports regulated product categories
Offers legal UK coverage
Doesn’t rely on card networks that flag high-risk products
Integrates directly with Shopify checkout

That’s where Pay by Bank comes in.

Why Pay by Bank Is a Better Option for Restricted Products

Pay by Bank uses open banking to move money directly between the customer’s bank account and yours—no cards, no intermediaries, and no chargebacks.
Benefits for restricted product sellers:

FCA-Regulated: Fully legal and secure in the UK
Supports Age Verification: Optional checks at checkout
No Card Bans: Doesn’t rely on Visa/Mastercard networks
Integrated with Shopify: Plug-and-play gateway compatibility
Higher Approval Rates: Especially for regulated verticals

Built-In Age Verification with Wall ID

Wall ID’s Pay by Bank solution includes optional tools for age-sensitive industries:

Verify customer age before checkout finalizes
Audit logs to confirm compliance
Reduces legal risk for alcohol and vape merchants

This is critical for Shopify merchants subject to licensing laws or country-specific age rules.

Comparison: Shopify Payments vs Pay by Bank for Restricted Products

Feature	Shopify Payments	Pay by Bank (Wall ID)
Supports Alcohol & Vape	❌ Not allowed	✅ Fully supported
CBD/Supplements	❌ Blocked	✅ Compliant & legal
Card Network Dependency	✅ Required	❌ None (uses bank rails)
Built-In Age Verification	❌ Not included	✅ Built-in option
Chargebacks	✅ High risk	❌ Zero chargebacks
Approval Rates	❌ Low for restricted	✅ High approval

If you sell any of the following on Shopify UK, Pay by Bank is a compliant, secure option:

Alcohol & spirits
CBD or vape products
Adult items
Nutraceuticals and supplements

Speakable

Shopify restricts payments for alcohol, vape, adult, and supplement products. Pay by Bank solves this by offering secure, FCA-regulated checkout—plus built-in age verification for UK compliance.

“We sell products that legally require age verification, and WallidPay was the perfect solution. It handles verification automatically and doesn’t interrupt the shopping experience.”

– Serena, Shopify store owner

FAQ

Can I sell restricted products on Shopify UK?

Yes, but you can’t use Shopify Payments. You’ll need a third-party gateway that supports regulated goods like alcohol or vape.

What are examples of restricted products?

Alcohol, vape products, CBD oils, adult items, dietary supplements, and some health-related goods.

What’s the best payment option for restricted products on Shopify?

Pay by Bank via Wall ID—it’s FCA-regulated, card-free, and includes built-in age verification for UK compliance.

Does Pay by Bank support age verification?

Yes. Wall ID’s Pay by Bank solution includes optional age checks at checkout with full audit logs.

About the Author

This article was written by the team at Wallid, experts in high-risk commerce and alternative payments. We specialize in helping UK Shopify merchants sell regulated products—like alcohol, CBD, vape, supplements, and adult items—safely and legally.

Wallid’s FCA-regulated Pay by Bank solution removes the risk of chargebacks, bypasses card bans, and offers built-in age verification for full compliance. Our goal is to make checkout seamless—even for the hardest-to-place products.

To learn more, visit wallid.co.