subject: How to Process Credit Cards for Firearms Sales [print this page] How to Process Credit Cards for Firearms Sales
Firearms Credit Card Processing Information
Most legal firearms and ammo dealers are now accepting credit cards as a payment mode, all of which can be used by gun merchants. This is to keep up with the times as most online retail businesses nowadays accept credit cards to increase their revenue and improve their cash flow. On the other hand, prior to getting involved with firearms credit card processing, you have to obtain basic information about the entire scheme.
For instance, you have to obtain a gun merchant account before you could take part in firearms credit card processing. A gun merchant account allows a merchant to accept payments through credit cards from their customers. Moreover, it builds a lasting relationship between the business, the credit card processor, and the bank of choice. This is because the funds obtained from credit card sales are deposited to the merchant's bank regularly. The best thing is that the merchant does not incur any merchant account fees. If you do not have a internet merchant account, your customers would not be able to use their credit cards as payment for your goods and/or services.
Merchant accounts can be issued in two types including card present, signature-based, or retail merchant account; and card not present, non-signature-based, or Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO) merchant account. The types of internet credit card processing are important points that a gun retailer should consider. These types would determine the fees involved in the credit card processing as banks view cards not present payment as having a higher risk of fraud as compared to card present payments.
The first type of merchant account is usually for retail gun merchants with physical customers present during the time of purchase and payment. This type of merchant account allows a retailer to inspect the credit card as well as the signature of the customer on the reverse side of the card. In addition, this type allows a retailer to match the sales receipt signature against the customer's signature on the credit card.
On the other hand, the second type is for retail gun merchants with customers who are not physically present during the time of purchase and payment. This type of merchant account is usually used in online transactions. The kind of firearms credit card processing involved in this type of merchant account allows customers to key in their payment information into an online form designated by the retailer. Customers are also allowed to phone-in their payment information through designated operators.
