You may not use the Shopify Services to operate a multi-level marketing or pyramid scheme business model.
Legitimate direct sales businesses that use tiered commission structures may be categorized as MLM and face account termination, requiring merchants to carefully assess whether their compensation structure could be characterized as multi-level marketing.
Shopify's AUP primarily affects merchants who use the platform to run their businesses, as it defines the full scope of what can and cannot be sold — with violations potentially resulting in immediate store termination and loss of access to funds held in Shopify Payments. Consumers shopping on Shopify-powered stores benefit indirectly from these rules, which prohibit counterfeit goods, fraudulent schemes, and dangerous unregulated products. You can review the full list of prohibited and restricted product categories at shopify.com/legal/aup before building your store to ensure compliance.