High-Risk Merchant Accounts · By Zach Schleien · · 8 min read
Does Stripe Allow Firearms? Yes, but Only After Review
Stripe now lists firearms as a restricted business, not a prohibited one. Here is what that means for a gun store, what it does not cover, and when a specialist account is the safer choice.
From our coverage of High risk payment processing. Categories mainstream processors decline, and the accounts that approve them.
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For years the answer was a flat no. Stripe listed firearms as a prohibited business, and gun stores that signed up anyway risked a closed account.
That changed in November 2025, when Stripe moved firearms from its prohibited list to its restricted list. Plenty of guides online still say Stripe bans guns. That is out of date.
This guide explains what Stripe's policy says today, what restricted means in practice, how PayPal, Square, Shopify Payments and Helcim compare, and when a specialist account from Easy Pay Direct or Payline is the better choice.
Affiliate disclosure: Processor Verdict may earn a commission if you use a sponsored link in this article.
Does Stripe allow firearms sales?
Yes, as a restricted business. Stripe's US restricted businesses page, last updated September 22, 2026, groups these under legal firearms and other weapons:
| Item | Stripe's status |
|---|---|
| "Firearms, including rifles, shotguns, and pistols" | Restricted (review required) |
| "Regulated firearm parts and accessories, such as suppressors" | Restricted (review required) |
| "Illegal weapons and accessories" | Prohibited |
| Ammunition | Not mentioned on the page |
Stripe also says that in countries where a firearm or weapon is illegal, it will continue to treat it as prohibited.
What changed
Until November 2025, Stripe listed firearms as prohibited. In an email quoted by NSSF on November 25, 2025, Stripe told firearm businesses it had moved them from prohibited to restricted, and that this "will require a few extra paperwork steps with our risk team."
What does restricted mean for a gun store on Stripe?
Restricted means reviewed, not approved. Stripe looks at your business before allowing it, and it can still say no. In practice that means:
- Disclose firearms when you sign up. Describing a gun store as a general retailer is the fastest way to a closed account.
- Expect paperwork. Stripe told firearm businesses to expect extra steps with its risk team. Have your license and product list ready.
- Ask about ammunition before you list it. Stripe's page does not mention ammunition, so get an answer in writing.
- Plan for holds. Stripe does not publish a fixed reserve length; reserve terms are set per account, and every processor's terms allow holds.
If Stripe approves you, its standard US pricing is 2.9% + $0.30 per successful domestic card charge with no monthly fee. That is the published rate; ask whether your approval comes with different terms.
What do PayPal, Square, Shopify Payments and Helcim allow?
Stripe is now the most open of the big platforms. Here is what each processor's own policy says, checked November 9, 2026.
| Processor | Firearms | What its own policy says |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Restricted (review required) | Lists rifles, shotguns, pistols and regulated parts such as suppressors as restricted. Illegal weapons are prohibited. Ammunition is not mentioned. |
| PayPal | Prohibited | Prohibits ammunition, firearms and certain firearm parts or accessories, with no approval route |
| Shopify Payments | Prohibited | Prohibits firearms, holsters, ammunition and weapons, but lets you add a third-party payment provider |
| Square | Prohibited in its published terms | Its annotated US terms prohibit selling firearms, parts and ammunition; check the current terms |
| Helcim | Partly prohibited, partly restricted | Prohibits wholesale firearms and ammunition; online, mail and phone firearm sales need approval |
PayPal's acceptable use policy, updated November 4, 2026, lists none of its approval-route categories for firearms, so there is no way to apply for an exception. Shopify is the practical exception among store platforms: a store that is not eligible for Shopify Payments can add a third-party payment provider, which is how many firearms stores on Shopify take cards.
Should a gun store use Stripe or a specialist merchant account?
For most gun stores, a specialist account is the safer primary choice, and Stripe is an option to test. The difference is what has been approved and whose account you are on.
| Stripe | Specialist (Easy Pay Direct or Payline) | |
|---|---|---|
| Firearms | Restricted: reviewed case by case | Listed: Easy Pay Direct names gun stores, FFL licensees and ammunition retailers; Payline lists properly licensed firearms businesses |
| Ammunition | Not mentioned | Easy Pay Direct names ammunition retailers; ask Payline to confirm by name |
| Account | You process on Stripe's platform | Your own merchant account, underwritten before your first sale |
| Pricing | Published: 2.9% + $0.30 domestic cards | Easy Pay Direct's gun-friendly page lists 2.69% + $0.36 online; Payline does not publish high-risk pricing |
| Review time | Not published | Easy Pay Direct says 1 to 4 business days on clean files |
| Counter and online | Ask Stripe what your approval covers | Payline puts terminals and online payments in one account (US and Canada) |
A specialist is built around the question Stripe answers case by case. If you already run on Stripe and it approves you, a specialist account is still worth having as a backup so one review does not stop every sale.
Our firearms merchant account guide compares the two specialists, and our gun shop card processing guide covers terminals and the state rules on firearms merchant codes.
Bottom line: should you use Stripe for firearms?
You can apply, but do not build your store around it until Stripe approves your exact products in writing, ammunition included. Stripe's change from prohibited to restricted is real, but a review is not a promise.
If you want an account built for firearms from the start, apply to Easy Pay Direct or Payline. Applying to a specialist and Stripe at the same time is reasonable, and the written offers make the comparison easy.
Not sure where your business fits? Take our free matching quiz.
Verified November 2026. Sources: Stripe's US restricted businesses page (updated September 22, 2026); NSSF, November 25, 2025; PayPal acceptable use policy (updated November 4, 2026); Shopify Payments eligibility page; Square's annotated US General Terms; Helcim acceptable use policy (updated September 30, 2026), all checked November 9, 2026; Easy Pay Direct gun-friendly page; Payline high-risk page. Policies change, so confirm the current version before you apply.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Stripe allow ammunition sales?
Stripe's restricted businesses page names firearms and regulated parts but does not mention ammunition. Ask Stripe in writing before you list ammunition. Easy Pay Direct's gun-friendly page names ammunition retailers.
Does Stripe allow gun parts and accessories?
Stripe lists regulated firearm parts and accessories, such as suppressors, as restricted, which means it reviews the business first. Illegal weapons and accessories are prohibited.
When did Stripe change its firearms policy?
Stripe moved firearms from prohibited to restricted in November 2025, according to a Stripe email quoted by NSSF on November 25, 2025.
Does PayPal allow firearms sales?
No. PayPal's acceptable use policy prohibits ammunition, firearms and certain firearm parts or accessories, and none of its approval-route categories covers firearms.
Can I sell guns on Shopify?
Shopify Payments prohibits firearms, holsters, ammunition and weapons, but Shopify lets a store that is not eligible add a third-party payment provider. Pair the store with a merchant account approved for firearms.
What is the best Stripe alternative for a gun store?
Easy Pay Direct and Payline both underwrite firearms businesses, and Easy Pay Direct's gun-friendly page lists an online card rate of 2.69% + $0.36. Established US shops with more than $10K to $15K a month can add Durango. Payline suits licensed shops in the US and Canada that want terminals and online payments in one account; Easy Pay Direct suits online, ammunition and multi-account setups.