Firearms Merchant Account Solutions for High-Risk Industries.

It's a merchant account for businesses that sell guns, ammunition, parts and accessories, or firearms services. It lets you take cards in your shop, online and at gun shows from a processor that has approved your industry up front, so your account isn't closed when a bank reviews what you sell.

Yes, firearms industry businesses can take online payments. To sell firearms you need a federal firearms license (FFL), and a gun sold online to a buyer in another state ships to an FFL in the buyer's state for the transfer. Ammunition, optics and accessory sellers don't need an FFL under federal law, though some states have their own rules.

Additionally, other providers may not accept your business as a client, meaning you must work with specialized firearms payment processing vendors like Adaptiv.

Yes, you typically need to work with a gun-friendly payment processor. Firearms and firearms accessories are considered a high-risk industry, so not all credit card processors will work with these companies. Some, like big banks or sponsor banks, may also take an anti-Second Amendment stance.

Mostly no. PayPal prohibits ammunition, firearms and certain parts and accessories, and Square's terms bar firearms, parts and ammunition. Stripe lists legal firearms as a restricted category available only through its sales team. A dedicated firearms merchant account is the reliable option.

Shopify's own payments follow its processor's rules, so most gun stores connect a third-party gateway and a gun-friendly merchant account instead. How to start an online gun store covers the setup.

Yes, we provide a firearms payment gateway with seamless integration for all ecommerce platforms. Adaptiv offers competitive rates, fast credit card processing, real-time chargeback mitigation, and exceptional customer service for all high-risk merchants.

Most firearms retailers process under 5941 Sporting Goods Stores, which covers firearms and ammunition. Visa's firearms-specific code, 5723 Guns and Ammunition Shops, is only used where state law requires it: California, Colorado and New York. Florida bars assigning a firearms-specific code.

Companies with an FFL can sign up for a firearms merchant account with Adaptiv. This includes:

• Online gun retailers
• Retail gun stores
• Gunsmiths
• Shooting ranges
• Gun accessory vendors
• Gun shows

If you offer something different that isn’t mentioned here, please feel free to reach out to us. We’ll review your application, ask some questions, and determine whether our processing services would be a good fit for your needs.

All of them, including Type 01 dealers and gunsmiths, Type 02 pawnbrokers, Type 07 manufacturers, Type 08 importers and Special Occupational Taxpayers (SOT) dealing in NFA items. FFL license types explains each one.

Not under federal law, unless you manufacture ammunition, which takes a Type 06 FFL. Optics, holsters, cleaning supplies and most accessories need no federal license. Some states regulate ammunition sales, so check the rules where your customers live.

To begin, you will provide basic contact information and explain whether you already take credit cards. Once we send the application, you will need to verify your identity and business standing. These are some of the documents we may request:

• FFL and state licensure
• Government-issued photo ID
• Articles of incorporation or business license
• Business bank account statements
• Business tax returns
• Employer Identification Number (EIN) or TIN
• Processor statements from your current processor, if applicable

Our expert customer representatives will work with you to ensure that your underwriting process is as smooth as possible.

Most firearms businesses are approved within a few business days once we have your documents. Applications that need more information, like a new FFL or a business with no processing history, can take a little longer.

Our team will provide you with regular updates on account progress and explain what additional information we may need from you.

Yes, it is possible to get a merchant account with bad credit. However, you may not be eligible for the lowest rates and may have to provide additional fees to mitigate risk.

Yes. New stores without processing history may start with a monthly processing limit or a small reserve that comes down as you build history. Have your FFL, state licenses and website ready.

Often, yes. Many gun stores come to us after Stripe, Square or PayPal terminated their account. We look at why it happened and what's changed. We also work with merchants on the MATCH list.

A gun sold to a buyer in another state ships to an FFL in the buyer's state, who runs the Form 4473 and NICS check at pickup. USPS doesn't let non-licensees mail handguns, and UPS and FedEx only accept firearms from licensees who sign their shipping agreements.

UPS ships ammunition as Limited Quantity by Ground only, within the 48 contiguous states, never in the same box as a firearm. FedEx treats it as dangerous goods. California requires ammunition sales to go through a licensed ammunition vendor, so online orders ship to a vendor for pickup.

Federal law sets 18 for long guns and 21 for handguns bought from a dealer, and buyers under 21 get an enhanced background check. In September 2026 the Justice Department said it won't prosecute dealers for selling handguns to law-abiding 18- to 20-year-olds, but many states set their own minimums, so check state law.

The transfer dealer can't hand over the gun, so refund the buyer promptly. A quick refund keeps a denied sale from turning into a "not received" or "credit not processed" chargeback. State your policy for denied transfers, including any restocking or transfer fees, before checkout.

It's getting harder. A 2025 executive order on fair banking and a 2026 OCC and FDIC rule bar regulators from pushing banks to drop lawful businesses over reputation risk. Florida law treats denying service over a lawful firearms business as an unsafe banking practice.

Your credit card processing cost has three parts: a percentage of each sale, a small per-transaction fee and any monthly fees. Firearms are a regulated industry, so pricing depends on your mix of in-store and online sales, your average ticket and your processing history. Get the full pricing in writing before you sign. There are no setup fees with Adaptiv.

No. There are no setup fees or application fees.

It depends on your history and how you sell. New stores and high online volume can mean a rolling reserve. Stores with clean processing history often start with a low reserve or none.

Visa's VAMP program flags merchants at a 1.5% fraud-and-dispute ratio with at least 1,500 disputes and fraud reports in a month, and Mastercard starts at 1.5% and 100 chargebacks. Banks usually act well before that, so aim to stay under 1%.

To reduce chargebacks, consider the following steps.

• Use next-level encryption technology like 3D Secure 2.0.
• Require address verification and CVV inputs for all transactions.
• Develop clear cancellation policies that are prominently displayed on your site.
• Use real-time chargeback monitoring to quickly address issues.
• Train your customer service representatives to respond promptly and compassionately to disgruntled clients, such as offering them a refund.
• Employ fraud prevention methods such as two-factor authentication.
• Write accurate product descriptions that explain the firearm’s specifications and provide a clear return window.
• Analyze chargeback data to identify which products or services have the highest rates and workshop solutions with your team.
• Keep track of all customer interactions, including text, email, and chat.
• Track IP addresses and addresses with high chargeback rates and consider blacklisting them.
• Impose waiting windows with free cancellation, and consider not billing until the product is shipped.
• Require an uploaded government ID and background check.