Sex Workers Tackle Mastercard'S Payment Ban With Creative Workarounds

Financial Hurdles in the Sex Work Industry

For those in the adult entertainment industry, navigating the financial landscape can be as challenging as their on-screen performances. Despite sex work being legal to varying degrees in the US and UK, adult performers often face financial complications imposed by large corporations. One of the most significant hurdles came two years ago when Mastercard banned its cards on Pornhub, a move soon followed by Visa.

The restrictions didn’t stop there. Mastercard tightened the screws last year, mandating adult content to be pre-vetted and requiring stringent age and identity verification for content creators. While these measures aim to combat illegal activities such as sex trafficking, they have inadvertently slowed the work of consenting adult creators and confused payment processes.

“Let’s be honest, it’s not exactly a turn on scrambling for a payment method. A customer can easily get annoyed and leave,” noted one creator.

Creative Solutions in a Restrictive System

With major credit cards pulling out, performers like Tia Mann and Grateful Grace have turned to alternative payment methods, though these come with their own challenges. PayPal, Venmo, and Stripe also have restrictions against adult creators, forcing many to rely on platforms like Cashapp, though availability is often country-dependent.

Tia Mann, a creator from Las Vegas, managed to sidestep the issue by diversifying her work to Twitch, while Gracey Kay from Leeds navigates banking scrutiny as a high-earning OnlyFans performer. Gracey shares frustrations of regular payment disruptions, noting her bank’s constant inquiries regarding her income from legal adult work.

The Fight Against Financial Discrimination

Experts like Angela Jones, a sex work scholar, argue that financial institutions are influenced by anti-porn and anti-sex work groups. These groups aim not just to curb trafficking but to abolish sex work entirely. Jones emphasizes the civil rights implications of this financial discrimination, which blocks sex workers from accessing credit, property, and insurance.

Lindsey Swanson from the sex work resource site Scoops of Vanilla suggests creative solutions like cryptocurrency for online transactions and direct payments through personal websites. However, these aren't foolproof as they require client trust and tech-savviness.

Ultimately, as Swanson highlights, payment processors are missing an active client base by discriminating against adult content creators. "The public needs to begin to see this for what it is – a civil rights issue," Jones stresses, pointing out the human aspect behind the screen names and videos.