Google Pay Policies for Businesses

The content on this page applies to Google Pay and Google Pay for Business users and merchants in India only.

Google Pay Policies for Businesses

Welcome to the Google Pay Policy Center for Businesses. Here you’ll find the policies which all merchants and billers which use Google Pay must comply with. They also apply to merchants joining Google Pay for Business as business partners, and include our rules for creating high quality offers and communications on Google Pay for Business.

Our policies cover the following areas:

Prohibited products and services: Products and services which may not be sold on Google Pay by merchants or billers including Google Pay for Business business partners

Restricted products and services: Products and services which may not be the subject of Google Pay for Business Offers

Offer and communications content

Google Pay reserves the right to expand or edit these policies at any time. Google Pay will also exercise its sole discretion in the interpretation and enforcement of these policies in conjunction with the product's Terms of Service.

Prohibited products and services

To become a Google Pay for Business business partner or use Google Pay as a merchant or biller, you must comply with our policies on prohibited products and services. These restrictions would apply regardless of whether the prohibited products or services form your entire inventory or only a part of it. Businesses who trade in any products or services prohibited by applicable laws are not allowed to use Google Pay as billers or merchants, or become Google Pay for Business business partners. A non-exhaustive list of prohibited products and services includes the following:

Counterfeit, illegal, or stolen products and services

Google Pay (and hence Google Pay for Business) may not be used for transactions of illegal products or services; products produced in violation of a third party's rights; replicas or imitations of designer or other products; or counterfeit goods. We do not allow the illegal sale of products and services using Google Pay (e.g. fake currency, tickets; smuggled goods and goods in violation of export, import or labeling restrictions). Other examples of illegal goods include gender determination, miracle cures or magical remedies, or dowry-related products and services. Note: Businesses are solely and completely responsible for verifying that all items sold by the business are authentic and legal.

Dangerous

We want to help keep people safe both online and offline, so we don’t allow Google Pay to be used for transactions on products that cause damage, harm, or injury (e.g. guns, explosives, drugs).

Offensive or Inappropriate

We value diversity and respect for others, and we strive to avoid offending users, so we don’t allow Google Pay to be used for supporting hatred, intolerance, discrimination, or violence.

Adult products and services

We do not allow Google Pay to be used for pornography and other sexually explicit material. This includes but is not limited to: prostitution, escort or companionship services, or any product or service which promotes underage, non-consensual, or other illegal sexual themes.

Unauthorized copyrighted material

We don’t allow Google Pay to be used for the sale of unauthorized copyrighted material. Examples include: copies of books, music, movies, and other licensed or protected materials including copies without proper attribution; and unauthorized copies of software, video games and other licensed or protected materials, including OEM or bundled software.

Products or services enabling dishonest behavior

We value honesty and fairness, so we don’t allow Google Pay to be used to sell products or services that are designed to enable dishonest behavior. A non-exhaustive list of examples include:

  • Academic paper-writing and test-taking services Devices or techniques for
  • unlocking technical protection measures Hacking and cracking materials
  • Devices for circumventing traffic rules

Gambling

We do not allow Google Pay to be used for any sort of online or offline gambling where money or other items of value are paid or wagered in exchange for the opportunity to win real money or prizes based on the outcome of the game.

Precious materials

We do not allow the exchange of precious materials in bulk. Examples: Bulk sales of rare, scarce, or valuable metals or stones.

Wholesale currency

We do not allow Google Pay to be used in the exchange of wholesale currency. Examples: Discounted currencies or currency exchanges; currency backed by precious metals.

Restricted products and services

Due to legal and cultural reasons, we limit the types of products and services that can be the subject of Google Pay for Business Offers. We also want to ensure Google Pay for Business Offers are family safe. Google Pay for Business business partners are not allowed to push promotional offers in the following categories:

Alcohol

We don’t allow the promotion of alcoholic beverages, including hard alcohol, liquor, beer, wine, champagne, or cider on Google Pay for Business.

Adult-oriented content

We don’t allow the promotion of products and services which are adult-oriented, such as literature and audiovisual material that is sexually suggestive and intended to arouse; products and services intended to enhance sexual activity such as lubricants, aphrodisiacs, sexual enhancers; and erotic lingerie.

Healthcare

We don’t allow businesses to create Google Pay for Business Offers in healthcare-related categories, including prescription drugs and medical devices, products, and services; abortion and gender determination products and services; unapproved pharmaceuticals and supplements; infant food products; miracle cures; pet prescriptions and pharmacies; HIV home tests; secret paternity tests.

Tobacco and Cigarettes

We don’t allow tobacco, any products containing tobacco or which directly facilitate tobacco consumption, or any products designed to simulate tobacco smoking (including e-cigarettes) to be the subject of Google Pay for Business Offers.

Other

We also don’t allow the promotion of the following categories:

  • Doctor (including individual practitioners, Ayurvedic and homeopathic practitioners), lawyer, architect, and audit services; and
  • Political content

Offer and communications content

We want to help Google Pay for Business business partners to create offers and share communications that are high quality, engaging, and relevant. Our content guidelines are designed to ensure that users have a safe and trusted experience with Google Pay for Business, and cover the following categories:

Inappropriate content

We value diversity and respect for others, and we strive to avoid offending users, so we don’t allow communications, offers or offer destinations that display non-family safe, offensive or inappropriate content.

Adult-oriented content

E.g. content which:

  • Contains text, image, audio, or video depictions which are sexually suggestive or explicit and intended to arouse
  • Promotes underage, non-consensual or other illegal sexual themes, whether simulated or real
  • Promotes the sexual exploitation of minors, e.g. child sexual abuse imagery or other content
  • May be interpreted as promoting a sexual act in exchange for compensation

Dangerous or Derogatory

E.g. content which:

  • Incites hatred against, promotes discrimination of, or disparages an individual or group on the basis of their race or ethnic origin, caste, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization
  • Harasses, intimidates or bullies an individual or group of individuals
  • Threatens or advocates for harm on oneself or others Seeks to exploit
  • others Defames or slanders any person or groups of people protected from
  • defamation or slander by applicable law (such as the protection afforded to the royal family in some jurisdictions)

Shocking

Examples: Violent language, gruesome or disgusting imagery, or graphic images or accounts of physical trauma (such as crime scene or accident photos, and execution videos).

Capitalizing on Sensitive Events

E.g. content which may be deemed as capitalizing on or lacking reasonable sensitivity towards a natural disaster, conflict, death, or other tragic event with no discernible benefit to the victims.

Animal Cruelty

Examples: Promotes or depicts cruelty or gratuitous violence towards animals, or which may be interpreted as trading in or selling products derived from threatened, protected or extinct species

Spam, Malware, and Phishing

Offers, communications, and any related content are intended for quality exchanges between businesses and users.

  • Do not aggressively send communications to users on Google Pay. Do not
  • send content which is irrelevant to the business, product, or service being provided.
  • Do not share content or engage in behaviors that harm or interfere with users’ devices, network operations, or other infrastructure.
  • Do not use Google Pay for Business for phishing scams.

Requesting User Information

Businesses should have a clear privacy policy and should obtain users’ express and informed consent prior to the collection of any user information in connection with any offer or communication.

Offer conditions

Businesses are responsible for honoring all offers made via Google Pay for Business. To maintain a high quality user experience on Google Pay for Business, all offers must meet the following conditions:

Offers must not misrepresent the business, product or service

Users should not feel misled by the content of Google Pay for Business Offers, and that means being upfront, honest, and providing them with the information that they need to make informed decisions. Offers must not represent you or your products in a way that is not accurate, realistic, and truthful. For example, they must not:

  • Be misleading (e.g. making false statements about the business or qualifications, falsely affiliate with other individuals, organizations, products and services, or false claims which position improbable results as likely outcomes even if they are technically possible)
  • Be unavailable or otherwise difficult to purchase (e.g. have no available stock, be inactive, promote prices which are inaccurate, or be difficult to find on the business landing page)
  • Contain superlative or comparative claims without third-party verification (e.g. “best”, “#1”, “better than”)
  • Contain information which is not clearly relevant to the actual product or service on the destination page
  • Conceal or misstate information about the business, product, or service (e.g. using a false identity, business name or contact information, offers for products or services that are normally offered for free)
  • Fail to disclose the payment model and full expense that a user will bear (e.g. shipping costs and other billing related information; recurring subscription costs)
  • Prompt users to initiate a purchase, download, or other commitment without first providing all relevant information and obtaining the user’s explicit consent

Use of trademarks

Businesses are allowed to use trademarks in the title or description of an offer when it is for a trademarked product or product compatible with the trademarked product. It is the business’s responsibility to ensure that any such use complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including laws on comparative advertising.

Offers must add value above and beyond the listed price

Promotions should provide a monetary discount or an additional good or service not normally associated with the purchase.

Product prices stated on an offer and product prices officially listed by the business must be exactly the same or rounded to the nearest whole currency unit (eg: ₨ 39.95 on the website may be rounded to ₨ 40.00 on the Offer). Prices under one whole currency unit must be exact.

We also do not allow promotions that are sweepstakes or which include text only meant to advertise the product without a discount.

Offer redemption

Businesses are expected to conform to the following guidelines on offer redemption:

Offers must be honored

Businesses are expected to honor all offers made via Google Pay for Business. Any disputes that arise between businesses and users are the sole responsibility of the business. Offer redemption rules that are different from a business’ usual non-offer business operations should be clear, transparent and accurate. Businesses are encouraged to provide detailed information on rescheduling or cancellation and to ensure any restrictions on these are clearly outlined in the offer terms.

Offers must have an online and/or offline place of redemption

Offers should clearly outline how and where the user can redeem their offer. It should also be redeemable at all locations identified.

Offers must not have hidden or undisclosed additional costs

Offer terms must clearly disclose any billing expectations, additional charges, minimum purchase limits, etc. as a result of redeeming a promotion with the business. Hidden fees disclosed upon redemption are not permissible.

Businesses must not impose deal-specific costs on users upon redemption if these costs do not apply to non-deal purchases. In other words, when users redeem their offer, they should not be subject to fees which do not apply to users not redeeming an offer.

Offers must not have unspecified additional requirements

Offers must be redeemable without unspecified additional user requirements. We do not allow offers which businesses impose requirements not included in their terms and conditions in order to redeem. Any additional requirements must not impose undue costs or effort on users. Unacceptable additional requirements include, but are not limited to:

  • Signing up for a store credit card Creating a store account Accessing
  • additional store content

Inventory limitations

Any limitations to the user’s access to non-offer inventory (e.g. applicable blackout dates, offer-specific rescheduling rules, or products/services not covered by the offer) must be made clear to the user up front.

Editorial guidelines

All text and image content in Google Pay for Business Offers and related communications must conform to the following standards to ensure they are clear and do not contain inappropriate content.

Editorial & professional standards

  • Grammar, spelling and spacing: All business content must use commonly accepted spelling, basic grammar and be written in logical sentence form. This includes correct spacing between words and around punctuation and no typos.
  • Punctuation and Symbols: Offers must not contain an excessive use of numbers, letters or symbols.
  • Inappropriate language: Offers and related communications must not contain inappropriate or offensive language or images.
  • Capitalization: Offers must not contain excessive or incorrect capitalization. Only proper names should be capitalized, not every word.
  • Gimmicky text: Offers must avoid repetition of words, phrases and punctuation, and should not include any unnecessary or irrelevant text.
  • Image quality: Images should be clear and recognizable, and not blurry.
  • They should not appear sideways or upside down.
  • Language: Offers must be in English.

Title guidelines

Offer titles should provide a complete description of the offer that is easy to understand and accurately summarizes the deal being promoted by including the value of the offer or discount on products. It should not be generic promotional text, or attempt to trick or mislead users by stating a deal which does not match the detailed description or terms and conditions.

  • State the value of the promotion (% off, ₹ off, Free item, etc.) State the
  • items or types of purchases valid for discount (i.e. “jewelry” or “all footwear and accessories”)
  • Including any unrelated information is cause for rejection; avoid any nonessential words and details that do not clarify the promotion
  • Do not use exclamation marks Do not use all capital letters or capitalize
  • the first letter of every word 60 characters maximum

Examples:

  • ₹100 off purchase of ₹500 or more 50% off select women’s clothing Free
  • eyeshadow with ₹250 purchase Men’s shirts: Buy one, get one 50% off

URLs

Any URLs contained within Google Pay for Business Offers or related content must not:

  • Contain links to malicious or unwanted software (as defined here)
  • Contain visible URL text that contains obscenity, profanity, or offensive slurs
  • Attempt to circumvent Google Pay’s systems and processes which are used for enforcement purposes e.g. through the use of dynamic DNS to switch page or ad content, or manipulate offer text

Google Pay for Business-created labels, URLs, and their destinations must also conform to the Google Pay Policies for Businesses and not contain any prohibited goods or services or inappropriate content as described in our policies.