Firearms Payment Processing

Traditional payment processors reject firearms businesses for a combination of regulatory concerns and political pressure. First, the strict regulations around firearms sales create compliance complexity that many processors don't want to manage—ensuring merchants have proper FFL licenses, verifying age and background check requirements are met, and maintaining transaction records for potential ATF audits. These requirements exceed standard payment processing compliance, leading processors to avoid the sector entirely rather than invest in specialized compliance infrastructure.

Political and reputational concerns drive many rejections in the firearms space. Major card networks like Visa and Mastercard face pressure from gun control advocacy groups to restrict firearms transactions. While they haven't implemented blanket bans, they've added special merchant category codes (MCCs) for firearms dealers and increased scrutiny of these merchants. Many acquiring banks and processors, worried about public perception and activist campaigns, choose to exit the firearms space entirely. This leaves legitimate FFL dealers with few options for stable payment processing, often forcing them to process as 'sporting goods' merchants (a violation of card network rules) or accept checks and cash only.

Paysuki provides specialized payment processing for licensed firearms dealers with full compliance infrastructure and stable banking relationships. Our platform includes automated FFL verification—we verify your license status with the ATF database before account approval and monitor license renewal dates to ensure continuous compliance. We understand the regulatory requirements of firearms commerce and work with banks that knowingly support the firearms industry rather than trying to hide firearms transactions under generic merchant categories.

Our compliance automation handles the complex requirements of firearms commerce. We enforce age verification (21+ for handguns, 18+ for long guns), maintain detailed transaction records that satisfy ATF audit requirements, and provide state-based product restrictions to prevent shipment of prohibited firearms or accessories to restricted jurisdictions. Our system flags transactions that require additional verification—large purchases, out-of-state sales requiring FFL transfer, ammunition purchases exceeding reporting thresholds—ensuring you remain compliant with all regulations.

Fraud prevention in firearms commerce requires specialized understanding. We identify patterns suggesting straw purchases (legitimate buyer purchasing for prohibited person), spot stolen card usage before firearms ship, and flag suspicious bulk ammunition purchases. Our system understands normal firearms commerce patterns—larger ticket sizes, seasonal variations, and accessory purchase patterns—distinguishing legitimate transactions from concerning activity. This reduces false declines while maintaining strong fraud prevention.

We provide dedicated support for firearms merchants with account managers who understand the industry and its challenges. We stay current on regulatory changes at federal and state levels, proactively alerting you to new requirements affecting your business. We also advocate for the firearms industry, maintaining relationships with banking partners who support Second Amendment commerce and working to expand payment processing options for legitimate FFL dealers. When you process with Paysuki, you get a partner who's committed to supporting lawful firearms commerce for the long term.