While businesses in various other industries may utilize payment service providers like Stripe, Square, and PayPal for credit card processing, these companies do not offer their services to firearms-related businesses. Consequently, merchants in the firearms sector must rely on traditional payment processors to handle their payment transactions. However, processors that lack familiarity with the firearms industry can pose more obstacles than benefits.
Here are some prevalent issues that firearms merchants often experience when engaging with a payment processor that is ill-equipped to meet their industry’s specific needs:
- Account Termination: A payment processor might close your merchant account unexpectedly if they determine it is used for the sale of firearms or related products.
- Frozen Assets: If your chargeback ratio is too high—a frequent occurrence in the firearms industry due to larger transactions processed less often—your funds may be frozen for as long as six months.
- Cash Flow Challenges: Prolonged delays in accessing funds can severely impact your business, as cash flow issues rank as the top reason small businesses fail.
- Loss of Sales Opportunities: Many customers purchasing firearms and ammunition need flexible payment methods for significant expenses. Inability to accept credit cards may lead to lost sales from customers who lack cash for their purchases.