Snapshot: The Ammunition Industry
The ammunition industry in the United States is a bright spot in the American economy. In 2019, the firearms and ammunition industry as a whole was responsible for as much as $60.02 billion in total economic activity in the country, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
The ammunition industry accounts for 40% of the revenue of the larger industry encompassing both firearms and ammunition, according to Dun & Bradstreet. Thus the ammunition industry is an important provider of high-paying jobs to many local communities across the United States.
Merchant Services In The Ammunition Industry
Regardless of the economic growth provided by this important industry, if you own or operate an ammunition business, you may have been previously turned down for a merchant account from a mainstream bank or merchant services company.
Or worse, your ammunition business may have had its merchant account terminated with little or no previous notice.
Many banks and merchant services providers will not accept your business for one of two reasons:
- Firearm sales are regulated by the federal government, and therefore, additional underwriting is required by the credit card processor. (Even if you don’t sell firearms, and only sell ammo, your business may be lumped into this category by the bank.)
- Because firearms and the 2nd Amendment are a “hot button” political issue, many banks and merchant services companies have taken an “anti” 2nd Amendment stance, and refuse to work with these businesses, even if they are otherwise highly desirable clients.
Tactical Payments, by contrast, was founded with the exact mission to serve the many fantastic firearms industry businesses out there today. We will offer you competitive pricing, easy integration, and friendly, USA-based customer support.
Ammunition Merchant Account FAQs
The following are the most frequently asked questions we get from businesses interesting in being approved for an ammunition merchant account from Tactical Payments.
What kinds of ammunition businesses do you accept as merchants?
Tactical Payments accepts a wide variety of ammunition-related businesses, including retail, eCommerce and mobile-based businesses which are related to ammo or firearms supplies. This includes retailers selling small ticket, big ticket or bulk ammo for pistol, shotgun, or rifle. Additionally, we accept merchants who sell sporting goods and archery equipment. All merchants must abide by all applicable Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations.
What criteria does my ammunition business need to meet, to approved for a merchant account by Tactical Payments?
To be approved for a merchant account by Tactical Payments, your ammunition business must meet the following criteria: (a) your business must be located, and operate, solely within the United States of America (and the business owner must be a US citizen with a SSN); (b) you must be willing to provide the following documentation: (1) a voided business check or verified bank letter, (2) a valid government ID such as a driver’s license, (3) 3 months’ previous business bank statements, or personal bank statements if the business is a startup, and (4) 3 months’ previous credit card processing statements, if applicable.
ADDITIONALLY, for ammunition-related businesses: Must have an FFL if manufacturing or importing ammunition, or ammunition for destructive devices (not required if the business is only selling ammunition).
Is Tactical Payments compatible with my existing ecommerce or Point Of Sale (POS) software?
Ammunition businesses typically have a preferred ecommerce or POS (Point Of Sale) software system they use. Because Tactical Payments works with most major payment gateways (including Authorize.net, USAePay and NMI), our merchant accounts integrate with most popular ecommerce and Point Of Sale systems. Tactical Payments is compatible with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, Volusion, and many other ecommerce software packages, and is also compatible with GunBroker.com.