Answer extracted from the B2B Vault: The Biz To Biz Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
Why do payment processors and advertising platforms require LegitScript certification?
Payment processors and advertising platforms—including Visa, MasterCard, Google, and Meta—require LegitScript certification because it has become the de facto gateway for telemedicine and pharmacy merchants to operate legally and reduce the risk of fake, dangerous, or misleading healthcare advertising. Certification demonstrates that a business aligns with their policies and meets applicable laws and regulations governing prescription medications and health services.
The role of certification as a gateway requirement
For merchants in telemedicine and pharmacy, LegitScript certification has effectively become mandatory to maintain payment processing and advertising privileges. As Angela Salter explains in the episode, companies operating in these spaces receive inquiries from Visa, MasterCard, and digital advertising platforms asking for proof of certification—not as a suggestion, but as a requirement to continue accepting payments or running ads.
The need for this gatekeeping stems from the convergence of regulatory pressure and fraud prevention. Major payment card networks and ad platforms face liability if they facilitate commerce for unlicensed, illegal, or deceptive health operations. Certification from a third-party compliance verifier reduces that risk substantially.
How certification protects against healthcare fraud and misleading advertising
The healthcare and pharmaceutical space has long been a target for fraudulent and dangerous operations. Eli Lilly alone reported 14,000 websites to federal authorities for illegal peptide and GLP-1 product sales. By requiring LegitScript certification, Visa, MasterCard, Google, and Meta create a baseline of legitimacy that filters out bad actors before they can scale.
Certification involves a formal review process where businesses must demonstrate legal compliance, proper licensing, and transparent marketing practices. This protects consumers from purchasing counterfeit medications, non-FDA approved compounds, or products marketed with false health claims. The process is not theoretical—as detailed in this podcast, merchants must update their certification status within 30 days of adding new products or services, ensuring continuous alignment with regulations.
"We certify based on current applicable laws and regulations, not what a committee thinks might be true in a year or two."
Angela Salter — Vice President of Enterprise Certification Sales and Partnerships at LegitScript. Salter oversees enterprise onboarding and account management for certified merchants, and manages relationships with strategic partners including payment card brands and advertising platforms that depend on LegitScript certification to maintain compliance and reduce fraud risk in telemedicine and pharmacy commerce.
This quote underscores a critical point: LegitScript bases certification decisions on current law, not speculation about future regulations. For merchants, this means that once certified, they have clarity about their legal standing today—though they remain responsible for staying compliant as rules evolve. The full episode explores what happens when merchants fail to maintain that standard, including fines ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 for operating with illegal products or misleading claims.
See also
What does LegitScript certification mean for a merchant operating in telemedicine and pharmacy?
Certification means a business has gone through a review process and demonstrated that its model, marketing, and offerings meet a defined set of legal and regulatory standards required by payment processors and advertising platforms.
Key takeaways
- LegitScript certification is now the standard requirement for payment processors (Visa, MasterCard) and ad platforms (Google, Meta) to approve telemedicine and pharmacy merchants.
- Certification protects against fraud and dangerous health claims—14,000 illegal peptide and GLP-1 websites have been reported by major pharmaceutical companies to authorities and payment networks.
- Merchants must update their certification within 30 days of adding new products or services to remain compliant and maintain payment processing privileges.
- Certification is based on current applicable laws and regulations, providing merchants with clarity on legal standing—but violations can result in fines ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.