Paypal

[IdahoCarry]

I just found out from a fellow ham and CCW person I am completing a transaction with that Paypal is not 2nd Amendment friendly. He told me that if you complete a transaction for a gun through them that they will CANCEL your account and SUSPEND any funds you have there.

Will be looking for a new money launderer.


What is PayPal’s policy on transactions that involve firearms?

We don’t allow PayPal members to buy or sell any kind of firearm, whether it’s in working order or not. The same goes for certain firearm parts and ammunition.

For example, using PayPal, you can’t buy or sell:

Any firearm, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns, whether they’re for sport and recreation, collectibles, or curio or relic firearms.

Firearm parts, including but not limited to receivers and frames, silencers, and kits designed to modify guns so that they fire automatically. High capacity magazines, multi-burst trigger activators, and camouflaging firearm containers are other items in this category.

Ammunition, including propellants like gunpowder or blank ammunition; ammunition or cartridge cases; and primers, bullets, or propellant powder designed for any firearm.


Stun gun sales are allowed for U.S. residents, but only if the transaction is permitted by law in both the buyer's and seller's jurisdictions. (PayPal account holders outside the U.S. can’t buy or sell stun guns.) Before they complete a sale, U.S. sellers must make sure that the transaction is legal in both locations.

Related items that you can buy and sell using PayPal include paintball guns, blank guns, and air-soft guns, as long as such transactions are legal in the applicable jurisdiction. All of these items must display the markings required by law, must not be convertible to shoot a lethal projectile, and can’t include blank ammunition.

 

[fstroupe]

Been using Paypal for over a decade...didn't know this. That sucks.

Hi from a fellow ham, N5VAP. I'm currently not active, too many irons in the fire. My dad still is, W5KK. He's been a ham since the mid 60s.

 

[jaysonindaytona]

I can kinda understand where they are coming from... There is no way they can be sure that sales are going through FFL dealers etc... It would be real easy for someone to buy/sell guns or powder etc. illegally and they "paypal" could end up on the wrong side of the ATF through no fault of their own... In this case I can understand the position...

Jayson /K4zag

 

[olsparky]

Is this policy anti-second amendment, or because of regulations dealing with interstate firearms transactions? I use them for payments for trainings I conduct. It seems to me that if they were anti-gun they wouldn't allow any gun related transactions. But the way that was written it seems like a legal protection from interstate sales requiring a FFL, or limiting access to underage and restricted persons.

Anyone have any additional information? If it is anti-gun I need to find a new payment service.

 

[HueMan]

Not true in 2010, as I did a transaction for a 5.56 shipped to my FFL

 

[Phillip Gain]

Is this policy anti-second amendment, or because of regulations dealing with interstate firearms transactions? I use them for payments for trainings I conduct. It seems to me that if they were anti-gun they wouldn't allow any gun related transactions. But the way that was written it seems like a legal protection from interstate sales requiring a FFL, or limiting access to underage and restricted persons.

Anyone have any additional information? If it is anti-gun I need to find a new payment service.

I think your analysis is spot-on. It seems much more like they are avoiding legal trouble, rather than pushing an anti-gun position. Notice the only items listed are ones that are regulated and/or restricted by Federal or (various) state laws. They are not restricting any other non-regulated firearms-related items.

 

[fnsmoak]

I use PayPal for most training transactions. Never a Problem. With a Bus. name like GUNSMOAK Training & Transfers I think they would've mentioned something by now if they were specifically Anti-2a.

We need to focus this amount of energy hounding our local two-faced politicians that promise a barrel behind every cushion then vote for curtailing existing 2a liberties.

GUNSMOAK

 

[father-of-three]

Paypal is owned by ebay, who only recently allowed gun magazines to be sold there, although all magazines I have seen have had a 10 round limit. I don't know what prompted this change, but prior to this, ebay only allowed for firearms accessories.

 

[stovepipe]

It probably originated with Meg Whitman when she was CEO of ebay ( paypal is owned by ebay ) from 1998 to 2008 and is very anti second amendment ,not just guns,the whole second amendment guns ,knives,brass knuckles,night sticks,ect. If you can defend yourself with it Meg Whitman is dead set against it period.You can sell or buy anything you want to with paypal but if they catch you they will yank your account .

 

[AMLKing]

Here are my thoughts: PayPal provides a sense of anonymity in it's transactions. PayPal is regularly used by individuals to launder ill gotten gains based on that anonymity. At the other end of the spectrum, PayPal is required to maintain compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act, USA PATRIOT Act, and a host of other government rules and regulations (not debating their merits, etc). They probably chose to not allow those types of transactions, not based on hatred of 2nd Amendment rights, but for compliance and reputational risks. What would be the reputational risk to PayPal (not to mention civil and criminal liability) should some idiot or terrorist use PayPal to conduct purchases of firearms that were then used to kill people?
Granted, PayPal is not a perfect company, I have had issues with them, but I still use them for convenience on some websites for non-firearm related purchases.

 

[IdahoCarry]

Thanks for all the insightful responses.

 

[decotriumph]

I use PayPal for recurring membership payments in the Tennessee Firearms Association.

 

[nraynes]

If you read it is contradicts its self it says you can't buy blanks yet can buy blank guns.

 

[Stan45]

Pay Pal is not a good deal.
If you ever have a dispute with your product you lost the protection your credit card may have given you.

 

[IdahoCarry]

Not really on topic, but that has not been my experience. My CC company protects me WAY better than Paypal but that has never interfered with claims.

 

[weissr]

I can confirm that both eBay and PayPal are anti-2a. I just had my PayPal account suspended for using them as the payment service from an auction at Gunbroker.com

I was selling some extra MAGPUL PMag 30rd Magazines that I had, however since they are "gun parts" according to PayPal that was a violation of their terms of service.

Of course, it wasn't enough of a violation for them to not take their transaction fee, just restrict my access to the money for 180 days. . . .

This will be the last time that I use PayPal - they don't need my money or my business

 

[Stan45]

PayPal is a waste, I will not use it. You have protection with your CC but if PayPal is used they are the customer not the person you bought the product from. If you have a problem with the product you are SOL.

 

[r1derbike]

Still have a paypal account, bud don't use fleabay or paypal any more for anything. Hello to all the fellow amateur radio ops. Been a ham since 1977, hold extra class license, and love CW and SSTV, but haven't been active for quite some time now. Still keep license current, however.

 

[White Doberman]

That has always been PayPal's policy. It is not anything new. Use your Discover card. AmEx will allow firearm transactions, but do not help firearms small businesses.

 

[kayateyellowsnow]

hello fellow hams from K8YS. I did not know that PayPal had this policy,, but it would not surprise me since they are owned by eBay and eBay is anti-gun.