Which Credit Card Processors Are Gun Friendly? A Vetting Guide for FFLs and Firearms Sellers

If you sell firearms, ammunition or accessories, you already know the short version: most processors will not take your business, and some that do will close the account months after approval. So which credit card processors are gun friendly? The honest answer is not a brand name. It is a type of processor: a specialist whose acquiring banks accept firearms merchants on purpose, whose underwriters understand FFL licensing, and whose terms are written down before you sign.

This post gives you the criteria to recognize one, and the red flags that tell you to keep looking.

What Makes a Credit Card Processor Gun Friendly?

Gun friendly is not a logo or a tagline. It comes down to three things.

First, the acquiring bank. Every processor places merchants with a bank, and it is the bank's policy, not the processor's website, that decides whether firearms merchants are accepted. A gun-friendly processor works with banks that take firearms accounts as a matter of policy.

Second, underwriting that understands your business. An underwriter who knows what an FFL is, what you sell and how you sell it can approve you on the strength of a complete file. One who does not will stall or decline.

Third, terms that hold after approval. Aggregators such as Stripe, Square and PayPal prohibit firearms in their acceptable-use policies. They may let you sign up in minutes, but the account was never compliant with their own terms, and the freeze arrives after you have processed. A gun-friendly processor approves you with your industry stated plainly on the application, so there is nothing to discover later.

Why Most Processors Decline Firearms Businesses

The decline is almost never about you. It is bank policy and acceptable-use terms, set long before your application arrives. We cover the mechanics in detail in our post on why FFL dealers get declined by traditional processors, including how dealers accept payments online, in store and at gun shows once the account is placed correctly.

How to Vet a Gun-Friendly Processor Before You Sign

Ask these questions of any processor you are considering, and expect direct answers.

• Is firearms a named supported industry? If it is not on their list, you are asking for an exception, and exceptions get revoked.
• Is pricing disclosed in writing before you sign? Rates, monthly fees and per-transaction costs belong in the agreement, not in a call after you have committed.
• Are reserve terms stated up front? If a reserve applies, you should know the percentage and the release schedule before you sign, not after your first settlement.
• Does it support how you actually sell? In-store, your own site and marketplaces each have requirements. If you sell through auction sites, our guide to choosing a payment gateway for GunBroker sellers walks through what to check.
• How long does approval take, in days? A processor that underwrites firearms regularly can give you a number. One that cannot is guessing.

Red Flags That a Processor Is Not Built for Firearms

• Rates that are not shared until after you apply.
• No mention of firearms, ammunition or FFLs anywhere in their materials.
• Instant sign-up with no underwriting. That is an aggregator, and the shutdown comes later.
• Reserve language that names no percentage and no release date.
• No one on the phone who can explain what their bank requires from an FFL.

Any one of these is a reason to slow down. Two or more is a reason to walk away.

What to Expect From a Firearms-Focused Processor

High-risk processing is the only thing we do, and firearms is one of the industries we underwrite every week. Our pricing starts at interchange plus 0.80%, with every fee disclosed in the merchant service agreement before you sign, and most merchants are approved within 24 hours.

If you are ready to apply, or you want to compare your current terms against ours, start with our firearms merchant account page.