Antique firearms merchant accounts UK
Card networks treat the category as firearms-adjacent regardless of the Section 58 exemption. Mainstream acquirers decline on category; US-based acquirers will not onboard regardless of UK legality.
Legal status (UK)
Legal in UK under the Section 58(2) exemption of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended by the Antique Firearms Regulations 2021. Specific cartridge / chambering rules determine antique status; sale of obsolete-calibre antique firearms to private individuals is permitted as curiosities.
Best way to take Antique firearms payments (UK)
Our pick
MerchantHQ, specialist Antique firearms broker and account team
Mainstream UK acquirers (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Dojo, Worldpay, Barclaycard) decline Antique firearms at onboarding or terminate after launch. We hold a specialist panel of UK high-risk acquirers that underwrite it. As a broker we match you to the right one for your licence, volume and processing history, then stay on as your named UK account team for the life of the agreement.
The acquirer pays our commission on signup, so it costs you nothing on top, and we never sell your details on. We disclose the risk classification upfront so the right underwriter is approached from the start.
Get matched to a Antique firearms acquirerHigh-risk merchants are the most exposed to chargebacks, frozen funds and MATCH/TMF listings, and that is exactly what your MerchantHQ account team handles, for the life of the agreement.
How Antique firearms placements work
Antique firearms routes to specialist regulated-vertical acquirers matched per application rather than a published list. The right underwriter depends on your licence, volume and sub-category, so we approach it individually. We hold the relationships and disclose your risk classification upfront so the right acquirer is contacted from the start.
Typical pricing
- Rate
- 2.5% to 4.5% blended
- Settlement reserve
- 5% to 10% rolling reserve common
Watch outs
- Antique Firearms Regulations 2021 obsolete-calibre list must be cross-checked at point of sale.
- Records of sale (purchaser name, address) must be kept for at least five years.
- Reactivation potential and deactivation-certificate handling scrutinised at onboarding.
- Card scheme rules around firearms-adjacent retail differ between Visa and Mastercard.
Director, MerchantHQ
Oliver leads MerchantHQ's terminal testing and acquirer comparison. With a background in UK commercial finance and merchant payments, he oversees terminal reviews, switching guidance and high-risk vertical mapping.
Last reviewed: 18 May 2026