RifleSupply.com is a trusted online retailer known for offering a wide selection of firearms and accessories to customers across the U.S., boasting a commitment to high-quality products, fast shipping, and exceptional customer service. Their company sought to further enhance the user experience by streamlining their FFL dealer selection process and seamlessly managing excise tax fees.
To achieve this, they partnered with IntuitSolutions to create a custom-built FFL and excise tax solution tailored to their BigCommerce store.
The Challenge: Navigating Legal Requirements for FFL Transfers and Excise Taxes
Selling firearms online involves navigating a complex web of legal requirements, including mandatory FFL (Federal Firearm License) transfers. Since online gun stores are prohibited from shipping restricted items directly to customers, merchants are required to incorporate a FFL component into their website’s checkout process. This allows customers to find a nearby licensed FFL dealer where they can pick up their purchases and provide the necessary in-person verification documents.
RifleSupply.com needed a solution that enabled customers to easily select an FFL dealer while managing excise taxes—mandatory fees on gun sales that vary based on the buyer’s location.
The challenges for Rifle Supply included:
- FFL Dealer Search: Providing an intuitive, accurate FFL dealer search feature that allows customers to quickly find nearby dealers.
- Preferred Dealer Highlighting: Ensuring that preferred FFL dealers are prominently displayed at the top of search results for easy selection.
- Excise Tax Management: Applying product-specific excise taxes correctly based on the customer’s shipping location.
The Solution: A Custom-Developed BigCommerce FFL Checkout and Excise Tax Solution
After working closely with RifleSupply.com to understand their objectives, our BigCommerce developers launched a comprehensive, custom FFL checkout solution built on the Ebizio Checkout app for BigCommerce. This solution was designed to streamline FFL dealer search and selection, efficiently manage excise taxes, and ensure legal compliance for restricted products.
The custom solution included the following features:
- Custom FFL Dealer Database and Search Functionality: We provided RifleSupply.com with a proprietary database of FFL dealer locations, including latitude, longitude, and zip codes. The system also allows RifleSupply.com to manage their dealer listings by removing any unwanted dealers from the database.
- Preferred FFL Dealers Highlighted in Search Results: RifleSupply.com’s preferred dealers are prominently displayed at the top of search results, allowing customers to easily select trusted locations for firearm transfers.
- Excise Tax and Product Fee Integration: To meet tax compliance requirements for regulated products, we implemented the Ebizio Checkout Excise Tax module, which calculates fees based on the customer’s location. RifleSupply.com can configure rules for different zones and product groups, applying excise taxes either as a fixed amount or a percentage.
The Results: Improved Compliance and Enhanced User Experience
RifleSupply.com now benefits from a streamlined FFL checkout process that is both user-friendly and compliant with complex regulatory requirements.
Customers can now seamlessly search for and select FFL dealers during checkout, while the automated excise tax calculations ensure accurate compliance with state and federal laws. The flexibility of the new system has significantly enhanced the overall purchase process, delivering a smoother, more efficient user experience while adhering to all legal requirements.
