PROHIBITS FIREARMS
Stripe
Restricted-businesses list covers weapons and firearm components; limited exceptions only with explicit prior written approval.
Blog // July 12, 2026 // Updated July 2026 // 8 min read
Gun-friendly payment processors for FFL dealers.
FFL dealers in 2026 take cards through a gun-friendly merchant account — from specialists like TacticalPay, Easy Pay Direct, PaymentCloud, or Zen Payments — fronted by a standard gateway like Authorize.Net or NMI. The mainstream aggregators (Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify Payments) prohibit firearms sales outright and close accounts that try.
01 // The blocklist
Why can't I just use Square or PayPal?
Because their terms say no, in writing. These are aggregators: your money flows through their master account, so their policy is your policy, and enforcement is an account closure — often discovered mid-sale, sometimes with funds held during review. GunTab maintains a running tracker of platform firearm policies; Stripe's own restricted-businesses FAQ confirms weapons categories require explicit prior approval at best.
PROHIBITS FIREARMS
Square
Prohibits firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition sales in its terms.
PROHIBITS FIREARMS
PayPal / Venmo
Acceptable Use Policy prohibits online firearms, ammunition, and certain parts transactions — a policy in place since 2003.
PROHIBITS FIREARMS
Shopify Payments
Prohibited-business list includes firearms, holsters, ammunition, and weapons.
02 // Who works with FFLs
Which payment processors work with gun stores?
Six names that actively serve firearms merchants in 2026. Rates are deliberately not quoted — high-risk pricing varies by volume, product mix, and history, and any article giving you one number is guessing. Compare real quotes.
| Provider | Gateway or full stack? | Best fit | Shutdown-risk notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorize.Net | Gateway only | The most widely integrated gateway in ecommerce; works for firearms when paired with a gun-friendly merchant account from a high-risk acquirer. | Low, once properly underwritten — the risk sits with the merchant account behind it, not the gateway. |
| NMI | Gateway only | Gateway with built-in fraud tooling, common in the firearms world and on GunBroker setups; also needs a firearms-friendly merchant account behind it. | Low with proper underwriting; same gateway-vs-account distinction as Authorize.Net. |
| Easy Pay Direct | Merchant account + gateway | High-risk specialist offering firearms merchant accounts with multiple gateway options and load balancing across accounts, in-store and online. | Built for high-risk verticals — designed around not shutting firearms merchants off. |
| PaymentCloud | Merchant account + gateway | High-risk merchant services with hands-on underwriting help — useful for newer FFLs who need guidance assembling the paperwork to get approved. | Firearms is an advertised, supported vertical. |
| TacticalPay | Full stack, firearms-specialist | Firearms-only processor with POS, ecommerce, and GunBroker gateway products; works with Authorize.Net and NMI gateways. | Entire business is firearms — policy risk is as low as this market gets. |
| Zen Payments | Merchant account + gateway | High-risk specialist with a network of 15+ acquiring banks, placing firearms merchants with a bank willing to hold the account. | Multi-bank model gives fallback options if one bank exits the vertical. |
Verified serving firearms merchants as of July 2026 via each provider's published materials — offerings change; confirm directly before signing. Not legal or financial advice.
03 // The architecture
How should the pieces fit together?
The resilient setup for an online gun store is three separate layers you control: a firearms-friendly merchant account (yours, portable), a standard gateway like Authorize.Net or NMI plugged into it, and a storefront platform that connects to your gateway instead of forcing its own processing on you.
That last layer is where platforms differ. Some bundle processing and price the bundle attractively — fine, until the bundle is the lock-in. SiteTac takes the other side: Authorize.Net and NMI are first-class connections, SiteTac never touches the money, and your processing survives any platform decision — ours included. The same logic applies whichever storefront you pick, which is why this article works even if you never become a customer. Details on the gun store website builder and FFL website builder pages.
04 // FAQ
Processing questions, answered straight.
Why do gun stores need special payment processors?
Because the mainstream aggregators — Stripe, Square, PayPal, Shopify Payments — prohibit firearms and ammunition sales in their terms and routinely close accounts that violate them, sometimes holding funds during review. Firearms is classified as a high-risk vertical, so FFLs need a merchant account underwritten by a bank that explicitly accepts it.
What is the difference between a payment gateway and a merchant account?
The gateway (Authorize.Net, NMI) is the software that carries the card data from your checkout; the merchant account is the bank relationship that actually accepts the money. Aggregators bundle both, which is exactly why their policies can shut you off. Gun-friendly setups keep them separate: your own merchant account from a high-risk acquirer, connected to a standard gateway.
How much does firearms payment processing cost?
It varies too much to quote honestly — high-risk merchant accounts price on your volume, product mix, chargeback history, and license type, and typically land above the flat rates aggregators advertise. Get two or three real quotes, and compare effective rate (total fees divided by volume), not the headline rate.
Does SiteTac process gun sale payments?
No — deliberately. SiteTac connects to the dealer’s own gateway, with Authorize.Net and NMI supported first-class, and never touches the transaction. Your processing relationship is yours: if you leave SiteTac, your merchant account goes with you, and no SiteTac policy change can ever interrupt your revenue.
Can I use my existing in-store processor for my website?
Sometimes. Card-present (counter) and card-not-present (online) are underwritten separately, so ask your current processor whether your merchant account covers ecommerce and which gateways it supports. Many FFLs end up with one high-risk provider covering both, fronted by Authorize.Net or NMI online.
Bring your gateway. Keep your money.
SiteTac connects to your Authorize.Net or NMI gateway and never touches the transaction. $1 gets you 14 days.
Keep reading: Can you sell guns on Shopify?/What platforms actually cost