High-risk processing · Firearms retailers
Firearms retail is legal, licensed and heavily regulated. Some payment companies still avoid it. Here is how to get a stable merchant account.
✓ Matched to processors that approve your category. Rates are quoted to your business.
Short answer: Use a processor that approves licensed firearms dealers. Underwriting typically asks for your Federal Firearms License, business registration, statements and how you handle background checks and Form 4473 records. Some states have laws for or against the firearms merchant category code, so confirm the rules where you sell.
Key facts
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Selling firearms is a lawful, federally licensed business, but several large payment platforms prohibit firearms, ammunition or certain parts in their terms. Others approve the account and then close it when they notice the category. For an FFL dealer, a closed account in the middle of hunting season is a serious problem.
Merchant Fund Express works with processors that knowingly approve firearms retailers, ranges and gunsmiths. We match your terminal and online gateway to the processor that approves you and handle the paperwork with you.
Some payment companies avoid firearms for reputational reasons. That limits the number of processors in the market, which is why matching matters.
Firearm sales by dealers require a federal license, a Form 4473 and a background check before transfer. Underwriters want to see that process is in place.
Firearms bought online are shipped to a licensed dealer for transfer, but ammunition and accessories may ship direct where state law allows. Each path is reviewed differently.
A dedicated merchant category code for firearms retailers is required in some states and opposed by federal legislation, so coding can change.
In 2022 a standards body approved a merchant category code specifically for gun and ammunition shops. Card networks paused rollout, then several states, including California, Colorado and New York, passed laws requiring the code for covered retailers, while other states passed laws prohibiting its use. The U.S. House has passed a bill, H.R. 1181, that would bar a separate firearms code nationwide; as of October 2026 we could not confirm it has become law.
What it means for you: how your account is coded may depend on your state and can change. Ask your processor which code you will be assigned and why. We explain this before you apply, so it is not a surprise on your statement.
| Sale type | How it is usually handled |
|---|---|
| Firearm at the counter | Card present, transfer only after Form 4473 and a background check. |
| Firearm ordered online | Paid online, shipped to a licensed dealer, transferred in person after the check. |
| Ammunition and accessories online | Card not present; ships direct only where state and local law allow. Some states require in-person or licensed-dealer delivery for ammunition. |
| Range time, classes, gunsmithing | Service revenue; underwritten like any service business, but on the same account file. |
Call (305) 384-8391. Tell us what you sell, how you sell it (counter, online, delivery) and roughly how much card volume you run. If you already process, have a recent statement nearby for a free review.
We work with processors that knowingly accept this business type instead of ones that close accounts once they notice what you sell. Your equipment is matched to the processor that approves you.
We tell you exactly which licenses, IDs and statements the application needs, so underwriting is not a slow back-and-forth.
Once approved, your terminal or gateway is set up and tested, and you keep one number to call when something needs attention.
Merchant Fund Express also arranges business funding, and we would rather be straight with you about it on this page than on the phone. Funding eligibility is set by industry code (NAICS), and gun stores are listed as restricted on the bank-style tier. The revenue-based tier reviews some restricted categories under its own rules, and we will tell you on the first call whether a file like yours can be considered.
The eligible industries page explains how codes are read, and funding requirements lists the revenue, time-in-business and bank-activity thresholds. If funding is not a fit, processing still is: the two are separate products, and we will tell you which one we can help with on the first call.
Rules summarized as of October 2026. Laws, card-network rules and processor policies change; this page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements for your state and city before you rely on them.
Yes. Firearms retail is legal and licensed. The challenge is finding a processor whose policy allows the category, which is what we help with.
It depends on your state and your processor. Some states require MCC 5723 for covered retailers and others prohibit it. Ask before you sign.
You can take payment online, but the firearm must be transferred through a licensed dealer after the required background check.
Not necessarily. Disclose it on the application so all revenue lines are underwritten together.
No. Rates are quoted to your business, and we review your current statement for free.
Call Merchant Fund Express. We match you to a processor that approves your category, prepare the application with you and stay reachable after you go live.
