AcceptableUse Policy

Why there are rules

Every payment through Xtopay passes through our payment partner, the mobile money networks and the banks, and each of them has rules about what they'll carry. Some businesses are against the law; others are legal but carry risks we can't take on for everyone. This policy lists both, and it's part of our Terms of Service.

If you're not sure whether your business is allowed, ask us before you start: hello@xtopay.co.

Businesses we can't serve

You can't use Xtopay to take payments for:

• anything illegal in Ghana, or where your customer is;
• illegal drugs and anything sold to make or use them, and medicines that need a prescription without a licensed pharmacy's approval;
• weapons, ammunition, explosives and fireworks, and parts for them;
• pornography, sexual services, and anything that sexualises children;
• pyramid and Ponzi schemes, “money doubling”, and investments that promise a return;
• fake, counterfeit or stolen goods, and anything that infringes someone else's trademark or copyright;
• fake documents and certificates, and exam papers or answers;
• hacking tools, stolen data, and accounts or SIM cards registered in someone else's name;
• protected wildlife and anything made from it, and human remains or organs;
• anything that promotes violence, hatred or terrorism, or that exploits people;
• “spiritual” services that promise money, cures or results; and
• businesses or people under sanctions by the United Nations or the Government of Ghana.

Businesses we check first

These are allowed only with our approval in writing, and with the licences Ghana requires. Show us the licence, and keep it current:

• Financial services: lending, savings and “susu” collection, money transfer, foreign exchange, insurance and investments (Bank of Ghana, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the National Insurance Commission);
• Virtual assets: buying, selling or holding crypto and other virtual assets for customers;
• Betting, gaming and lotteries (the Gaming Commission of Ghana or the National Lottery Authority);
• Medicines, herbal products and supplements (the Pharmacy Council and the Food and Drugs Authority);
• Alcohol, tobacco and vapes, which you mustn't sell to anyone under 18;
• Political parties and campaigns;
• Travel agents, and pre-orders for goods that arrive more than 30 days after they're paid for; and
• Recruitment, study-abroad and visa agents.

We may hold payouts for a business in this list for longer, or set lower limits for it.

Donations and fundraising are welcome without approval, as long as your page says plainly who the money is for and how it will be used. We may ask a charity, church or association for its registration, and an appeal for a person (a hospital bill or a funeral, say) must be run by them or their family.

Ways of using Xtopay that aren't allowed

Whatever your business, don't:

• take payments for another business or person, or let them use your account, links or keys;
• describe a payment as something it isn't, or split one payment into several to stay under a limit;
• charge a customer's number without their agreement, or for more than they agreed;
• pretend to be another business, or make pages that look like someone else's;
• use a link or page to collect passwords, PINs, card details or codes;
• send spam or unwanted messages with your links in them;
• move money through Xtopay only to make it harder to trace;
• try to get around our checks, limits, allowlists or two-step sign-in, or break into anyone's account;
• overload, copy or take apart our service, or test its security except as our Security page allows; or
• use test mode to take real payments.

What happens if a business breaks these rules

We'll usually ask you to explain first. Depending on what we find, we can take down a link, a page or a product, hold your payouts, suspend your account or close it, and we'll email the owner why. Where the law requires it, we report what we've found to the authorities.

A payment taken in breach of this policy can be refunded to the customer, and money in your balance from it may be held while we look into it.

Reporting a business

If you think a business is using Xtopay for something on this page, or you've been misled by one, tell us at complaints@xtopay.co, with the link or the payment's reference (it starts with XTP-). We look into every report, and we don't tell the business who made it.