Shopify prohibits merchants from using its platform to sell a specific list of products and services, including counterfeit goods, certain weapons accessories, unauthorized pharmaceuticals, and content facilitating exploitation.
This analysis describes what Shopify's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
Merchants whose product or service offerings fall within any of the prohibited categories risk account suspension or termination, which would disrupt their ability to conduct commerce through the platform.
Interpretive note: Some prohibited categories such as 'drug paraphernalia' and 'weapons' use terms that require interpretive judgment to apply to specific product types, and the document does not provide a formal pre-clearance or appeals mechanism.
This provision establishes the categories of products and services that may not be sold through Shopify-hosted stores, which affects both what merchants can offer and what end consumers may encounter when shopping on Shopify-powered storefronts.
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"You may not use the Shopify Services to offer, sell, or facilitate the sale of: Counterfeit goods: Sale of counterfeit goods or use of another's intellectual property without authorization or in a manner that otherwise infringes on another's intellectual property rights.— Excerpt from Shopify's Shopify Acceptable Use Policy
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The prohibited products list engages multiple regulatory frameworks simultaneously. Firearms-related restrictions interact with ATF regulations under the Gun Control Act. Pharmaceutical and drug-related restrictions interact with FDA regulations and DEA scheduling requirements. Financial product restrictions interact with FinCEN, CFPB, and state licensing regimes. Tobacco and nicotine product restrictions interact with FDA regulations under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, including age verification requirements. The FTC Act governs deceptive practices broadly. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The list of prohibited categories is extensive but uses some terms (such as 'drug paraphernalia' and 'weapons') that require interpretive judgment to apply to specific products. This creates compliance uncertainty for merchants in adjacent categories and potential inconsistency in enforcement. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: Merchants in the EU should assess whether the Platform-to-Business Regulation requires more specific notice and procedural clarity around enforcement of this list. California-based merchants selling hemp-derived CBD products or certain tobacco products face heightened regulatory complexity given state-specific rules that may interact with the AUP's broad prohibitions. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: B2B procurement teams and enterprise merchants should evaluate whether the AUP's prohibited categories align with their product roadmaps and whether contract-level carve-outs or written confirmations from Shopify are warranted for gray-area product categories. The non-exhaustive nature of the list creates ongoing compliance monitoring obligations. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should conduct a periodic audit of product catalogs against the prohibited categories list, particularly for merchants that have expanded product lines or entered new verticals. Teams operating in regulated industries should obtain written clarification from Shopify regarding specific product types before listing, as the AUP does not provide a formal pre-clearance mechanism.
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Merchants whose product or service offerings fall within any of the prohibited categories risk account suspension or termination, which would disrupt their ability to conduct commerce through the platform.
This provision establishes the categories of products and services that may not be sold through Shopify-hosted stores, which affects both what merchants can offer and what end consumers may encounter when shopping on Shopify-powered storefronts.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Shopify.