Effective March 10, 2013, Square Inc., the convenient portable credit card processor, has aligned itself with the gun control hysteria 
crowd, expanding their exclusions for use to not just firearms not made in person, but also to ammunition and anything to do with firearms made in person or by any other means. It amounts to a 100% prohibition of anything related to, and including, firearms.
Square Inc. sent notice of their new Merchant Agreement to current subscribers today, with the proviso that by continuing to use their service, you agree to the terms of the new Merchant Agreement.
The updated agreement will take effect on June 9, 2013. If you continue to use our services after June 9, 2013, you agree to the terms of the new agreement. You will be able to access the previous version of the agreement for the next thirty days.
The details are found in Section 6 of their new Merchant Agreement . . .
By creating a Square Account, you also confirm that you will not accept payments in connection with the following businesses or business activities: . . . (23) sales of (i) firearms, firearm parts or hardware, and ammunition; or (ii) weapons and other devices designed to cause physical injury
Relating to firearms, the previous policy prohibited use only for firearms sales not made in person.
(23) internet/mail order/telephone order firearm or weapon sales,
If you are a business owner and don’t agree with the stance Square has taken, regardless of what industry you are in, there are alternatives to using Square Inc. One is Payment Alliance International. They also have a NRA & NSSF Endorsed Shooting Sports Payments Package.
It’s payment processing. They’re not selling anything. But from their point of view, you may be right. It gives them an ‘easy out’ instead of saying that the’ve gotten “complaints” from people who are not their customers over their position on firearms, they can use the ‘limiting our liability’ excuse.
I don’t think it is as much a political statement as it is them succumbing to pressure from the anti-gun zealots. That’s what the anti-gun crowd does.
Square can conduct their business as they wish, and business owners can do likewise. For me, I’ll take my business elsewhere and choose another processor that has the balls to stand up to the anti-gun crowd. I support the 2A as I wish. Square can do whatever they want. I’m just letting folks know what’s going on.
And, btw, thank you for jumping in and offering your comment. Much appreciated.
I use Stripe for online payment processing. It’s a fantastic service that was easy to integrate. However, they also have “weapons and munitions” in their laundry list of 55 prohibited activities.
“Prohibited Businesses
By registering for Stripe, you are confirming that you will not use the Service to accept payments in connection with the following businesses, business activities or business practices:
…(47) online or other non-face-to-face tobacco or e-cigarette sales, (48) weapons and munitions (49) virtual currency that can be monetized, re-sold or converted to physical or digital goods or services or otherwise exit the virtual world…”
I’m not convinced it is a political statement. I think they are just trying to limit liability. Payment processing is an extremely tough business to enter. The entrenched powers don’t want competition and they have a lot of pull.