Research Use Only peptide payment processing: frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers. Where a question deserves a longer one, the answer links to it. If your question is whether we will make an exception, the answer is on this page several times.
Questions and answers
Does NoRamp process payments for peptide companies?
Yes, for Research Use Only suppliers whose customers are institutions and credentialed laboratories and whose storefront, checkout and order patterns are consistent with research supply. We decline the large majority of applicants in this category, on purpose.
Is NoRamp really the strictest RUO payment processor?
We apply Stripe's Prohibited and Restricted Businesses policy, the Visa and Mastercard brand-protection programs and FDA and FTC guidance as a floor, and our own Research Use Only policy on top of them with no exceptions. We know of no processor that declines more RUO applicants or enforces faster. If one exists, we would like to meet them.
What gets an RUO application declined automatically?
Any prescription compound under any name, human-use positioning, consumer formats or selling, injection supplies, sales to individuals, clinic or telehealth framing, disclaimers that only exist for the crawler, misrepresentation of any kind, and any prior processor termination or regulatory history. The full list is on our Who we decline page.
Can I sell semaglutide, tirzepatide or other GLP-1 peptides for research?
No. Every GLP-1, GIP and incretin-class compound is a prescription drug and is prohibited for every NoRamp merchant under any name, code or label. Listing one is an automatic decline and, for a live merchant, same-day termination.
I was terminated by Stripe. Will NoRamp board me?
No. Prior termination by any processor is an automatic decline in every category. Applying under a new entity or domain is misrepresentation, which is a second automatic decline.
Does a Research Use Only disclaimer make my store compliant?
No. The networks, regulators and NoRamp evaluate the whole storefront: who buys, how products are presented and what they are marketed for. A disclaimer changes none of that, and a disclaimer that is not in the server-rendered HTML counts against you.
Do you allow sales to individual researchers?
Orders must be verified as research purchases before they are accepted and must ship to institutional, laboratory or business addresses. Residential delivery, repeat individual buyers and consumer-sized orders are treated as violations.
How does NoRamp monitor live RUO merchants?
Every live storefront in the category is scanned nightly across every connected domain, order patterns and marketing channels are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and human reviewers confirm what the scans find. We also investigate every report from the public, other merchants and our partners.
What happens if a live merchant violates the policy?
Same-day suspension and termination, funds held for as long as the networks permit, every card-network fine passed through in full plus investigation costs, and a report to our processor, banks, the networks and regulators where required. There are no warnings for prohibited conduct and no reinstatement.
Who pays Visa and Mastercard fines?
The merchant, in full. Fines from programs such as Mastercard's Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation program and Visa's Integrity Risk Program are recovered from held funds and reserves, and any balance is pursued from the merchant and its principals under the merchant agreement.
Is NoRamp cheaper than my current processor?
Almost certainly not. NoRamp is deliberately not the low-cost option. The premium pays for a platform that reads your storefront, flags problems before a network does, and invests in your growth. If you are optimizing on basis points alone, we are not the right fit.
How long does the application review take?
Most applications end quickly at the automatic-decline screen. Applicants who pass it are reviewed by a person, and a clean institutional supplier with complete disclosure moves fastest. We do not promise a turnaround time.
Can I apply again after a decline?
Declines for prohibited conduct are final, and we do not re-review the same business under a new name or domain. If you believe we got the facts wrong, reply with evidence.
How do I report a NoRamp merchant that is violating the policy?
Email daniel@noramp.io with the subject line Report a merchant and include the storefront URL and what you found. We investigate every report.
Where is the full policy?
At noramp.io/policy/research-use-only. Read it in full before applying. Every page in this section is consistent with it, and where there is any doubt, the policy page controls.
Where we stand
NoRamp is the strictest payment processor in the world for Research Use Only. We are on the side of the card networks, the acquiring banks and the regulators, not on the side of a merchant who wants to see how close to the line they can operate. Approval is possible. It is rare, on purpose.