Brick and Mortar Firearms Retailers
Brick and Mortar firearms retail stores are the backbones of the firearms industry. Retail gun stores offer the most convenient method for consumers to legally purchase firearms with the added value of having an expert on hand to answer customer questions. This makes retail gun stores responsible for a significant amount of the firearms market.
In 2020, the firearms and ammunition industry was responsible for as much as $63.49 billion in total economic activity in the country (Firearms Industry Trade Association). The broader economic impact permeates throughout the economy, generating business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms. Real people, with real jobs, working in industries as varied as banking, retail, accounting, metalworking, even in printing, all depend on the firearms and ammunition industry for their livelihood. This market size represents a significant opportunity for anyone who owns or operates a retail gun store. Unfortunately, many gun shop owners — even while doing everything “by the book” — run into trouble with payment processing despite this tremendous opportunity.
Merchant Services For Gun Stores
If you own or operate a brick and mortar gun shop, you may have been denied a merchant account by a mainstream bank or merchant services company. Or worse, your firearms retail 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:
1. The federal government regulates firearm sales, 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.)
2. Due to the current political climate, firearms and the 2nd Amendment are a “hot button” issue. Some banks and merchant services companies have taken an “anti” 2nd Amendment stance, refusing to work with these businesses, even if they are otherwise desirable clients.
2A Commerce, conversely, was born out of the basic principles our constitutional rights bestowed upon us. Unlike other payment solutions, we will never discriminate against you even if we disagree with you – because this is what it means to be American.
This means no matter your political or social ideology, we will never discriminate against you, and we will never shut down your commerce engine. Our business exists to serve All Americans. As a veteran-owned company, we know and understand firsthand what it means to defend and uphold our American values. We intend to carry this tradition in our business. Our pursuit is to operate our company with the tenacity, discipline, consistency, and technical creativity of the US Navy Submariner.
