How to do credit card payments on GunBroker

Most online buyers prefer to pay by credit card. That's why most online sellers prefer to accept payment by credit card. GunBroker users are no exception – most GunBroker users want credit card payments. However, there are limited options. In this article we'll cover exactly how you can pay or get paid by credit card on GunBroker.

Why are there limited options for credit card payments on GunBroker?

There are limited options for credit card payments on GunBroker because the financial industry classifies gun-related transactions as "high risk". They have a few major reasons for making this classification:

1. Guns and ammo are specially regulated at federal and state levels.
2. Guns are politically sensitive in our current cultural environment.

The risk assessment doesn't end there. The financial industry also classifies marketplace transactions as being riskier than retail transactions, especially for peer-to-peer transactions where no business is involved. In other words, the financial industry classifies GunBroker transactions as being riskier than average. To be fair, that is probably true. There are plenty of scams on GunBroker.

Many financial companies completely refuse to support "high risk" transactions. For example, all the payment platforms refuse to support firearm transactions. The remaining financial companies charge high fees, in many cases making transactions unaffordable. The ultimate result is that there are only a few options for credit card payments on GunBroker.

When the seller is a business

On GunBroker, when the seller is a professional merchant, there are theoretically two ways to handle payment by credit card:

1. GunBroker Immediate Checkout. This option is best integrated with GunBroker, however it is difficult for sellers to set up. As GunBroker says: "To use this feature, sellers must have a merchant account associated with one of the payment gateways supported by GunBroker.com." Also, this option offers little protection for buyers and no protection for sellers.
2. GunTab. This option is easy to set up. It can be nicely integrated if the seller uses GunTab Checkout buttons. Also, this option offers full protection for both buyers and sellers. If the seller does not clearly accept GunTab, the buyer can use GunTab to send a "payment offer" to the seller.

When the seller is NOT a business

On GunBroker, when the seller is a private individual, there is only one way to handle payment by credit card: GunTab. That's because GunTab is the only gun-friendly equivalent to PayPal or Escrow.com. Basically, GunTab instantly equips ordinary individuals with the power of credit card payments – sending and receiving.

Conclusion

The only option available to everyone – whether they have an FFL or not – is GunTab. Notably, GunTab is also the only option that fully protects both the buyer and seller. While GunBroker Immediate Checkout is a nice feature for businesses, it suffers from the drawbacks of being difficult to set up and offering little protection from fraud. For a checkout solution that is easy to set up and offers full protection to both sides, use GunTab. You can open a free account now.