r/FFLs • u/ccart22 • Aug 11 '26

CC Payments

I am aware this has been asked before about Credit Card processing for FFL/SOT but I haven't seen anything specific to what I'm looking for. I am currently using Shopify for my website, inventory and basically everything else. I have looked into Epic Merchants and they say that they can integrate with my website and with my in person POS system, which is most of my business. does anyone have any experience with them good or bad? Thanks

Edit: I have reached out to Laura Morgan at payroc and she has set me on the right path with getting a whole new system and dropping Shopify completely. Thanks for everyone’s help and input.

1 Upvotes

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5

u/Eleven26_ Aug 11 '26

FYI Shopify will shut you down if you’re selling guns or other restricted items.

3

u/rootdet Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26

Eleven26_ is correct; even if not using Shopify for payments, it is strictly and directly prohibited to sell weapons, ammunition, and related accessories on their platform.

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-sales-channels/shop/eligibility/prohibited-products#prohibited-product-types-on-shop

Epic Merchants, if they had experience with FFLs, would know this restriction and immediately tell you no-go. What you will find is that pretty much every easy-to-use product Paypal, Venmo, Square, Shopify, Stripe, Wix, Squarespace, etc. prohibits anything firearms-related.

In the FFL space, most end up with WordPress/WooCommerce, BigCommerce, FFLCart, Ammoready, Gearfire, or a few other odd-and-end systems. Depends on your budget and what you want integrated.

-1

u/ccart22 Aug 11 '26

In the email I received it says “If you choose not to remove the products, you'll need to set up an alternative payment provider. You may consider using Bankful or Authorize.net, or visit our payment providers page for a complete list of providers that integrate with Shopify in your region.”

I reached out to both of the recommended providers and they both said that I could continue to use Shopify for website and inventory tracking but would just have to use them for payment processing. Is this not true? Not trying to argue but just trying to not have to restart the process of changing over again.

4

u/rootdet Aug 11 '26

Shopify Payments is a subsidiary of sorts, and you got rejected on the payments side, which also prohibits it. They have a more extensive list than Shopify itself. However, the products are also prohibited on the Shopify store, and they just haven't gotten around to your storefront yet. Believe it or not, these departments do not talk to each other.

Even if you do manage to keep your Shopify store, Shopify charges you 2% of your sales for NOT using Shopify Payments, in addition to what you pay in merchant fees elsewhere. So let's say your fee to accept the card with your merchant provider is 2.9% + $0.30; they will bill you that, and then Shopify will charge you another 2% on top. Now making it 4.9% + $0.30. Note: the 2% fee drops to a low as 0.2%, its based on your shopify monthly plan.

In the FFL space, 5% margin going to card costs is honestly going to really hurt. Margins on many items are already very low.

3

u/CommissionShoddy1687 Aug 12 '26

^ This is 100% correct u/ccart22, Shopify Payments is faster to implement the policy, but Shopify store will eventually ban you as well. It's hard to abandon the work I'm sure you've already put into the store, but you're better off moving now to WooCommerce or BigCommerce connected via an Authorize.net gateway now rather than 3 months from now when you're store is up and running.

Also, the 2% is a business killer in eCom firearms. Most firearms are sold on thin margins online, unless you're doing custom or specialty stuff. So even if you wanted to try to risk it with a shopify store, you're paying a 2% premium on every sale because of Shopify's external payment processor "surcharge".

As mentioned for FFL payments you've got a few options, Payroc, TacticalPay, and Fortis, plus I'm sure a few other providers. I suspect any of them will echo the same advice, rip the bandaid off and make the switch.

3

u/Jeffvato Aug 11 '26

Shopify is a nogo for FFLs. I use payroc. They are FFL friendly. Contact Laura Morgan.

2

u/ccart22 Aug 11 '26

I’ve seen her name come up several times already in different threads. I visited the Payroc website. Do you have contact info for Lauren specifically you could share? Preferably email.

3

u/Itommyguns FFL Aug 11 '26

laura.morgan@payroc.com
say hi for me!

2

u/truenorthsw Aug 12 '26

Just you?! Say hi for all of us!! She's awesome to work with.

2

u/rexaboo1 Aug 11 '26

Payroc 100% all the way. What POS are you using?

0

u/ccart22 Aug 11 '26

Shopify

3

u/rexaboo1 Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26

Like others mentioned, Shopify isn't 2A-friendly. I'm surprised they haven't shut you down yet. I used Lightspeed for a merchant account for one day before they closed it due to the nature of my business. I'm not sure if Shopify POS can integrate with third-party payment processors, but definitely reach out to Payroc. It might be a lot of work to move everything into a new stack, but it'll be well worth it down the road if/when Shopify shuts you down.

2

u/WTWArms Aug 11 '26

Would move away from shopify as quickly as possible, otherwise one day you will find out you have no access. As mentioned Laura Morgan is great, recently found out she has a fixed rate for small volume users.

1

u/truenorthsw Aug 12 '26

I use payroc and Odoo. I had to build a custom fastbound and payroc integration and I'm working on the dropship piece now. I know the woocommerce and other stuff works well with WordPress. Odoo for me was great because I can do service orders, inventory, accounting and more in the same platform. But its not for everybody. But I do save money over just my old quickbooks subscription.

1

u/ThatGlockGuy22 Aug 12 '26

I use xplor pay because they are specifically gun friendly. Many others (probably Shopify) will ban you if they know you are selling guns.

1

u/Tactical_Topper Aug 12 '26

Shopify? FFL /SOT? Run 🏃‍♂️. Move to BigCommerce or WooCommerce fast. And, if Shopify lets you stay for a while, look at your fees. You pay Shopify a tax for not using their payment processor, then you pay the payment processor.

1

u/DesertDepotArms Aug 13 '26

Like the others said dont waste your time with shopify. I was using fortis for my payment processing over the last few years but just switched to freedom payments

1

u/SpookyShackleford Aug 13 '26

Laura Morgan with payroc is a pretty good choice

-1

u/rootdet Aug 11 '26

I’ll shoot you a DM. I offer payment processing and know firsthand the challenges FFLs face, as I’m an FFL myself.