Intuit: We didn't stop processing all gun sales

(Photo: Intuit)

Intuit, the parent company of TurboTax and QuickBooks, disputed claims this week it stopped processing payments for gun sales.

Heather Mclellan, a company spokesperson, told Guns.com Monday “our policy is not new, nor has it changed” when questioned why the credit service reportedly refunded customers for sales made at gun-related stores, leaving business owners unpaid.

“Our company does NOT prohibit ANY of these regulated industries — including the firearms industry — from using QuickBooks for payment processing,” she said. “In fact, many do so today. However, for these transactions our bank partner requires them to be done face-to-face. To meet this requirement, our policy today requires the customer to be present to swipe their credit card.”

The trouble began last month when business owners told the New York Post the company reversed charges for items sold at their stores — including t-shirts, coffee mugs and, in one case, a gun safety class.

Ken Campbell, owner of Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona, told the newspaper Intuit took issue with one of his gun sales, despite his assurance the firearm would be transferred via a federally licensed gun dealer near the customer’s home.

“When transactions are ‘keyed in’ by the vendor – including online and over the phone – Intuit cannot verify that the customer was present,” Mclellan said, noting the issue conflicts with Intuit’s “long standing financial safety policies in the electronics payment industry.”

“All of our customers agree to these terms when they sign on to use our services,” she said. “When a customer of ours is unable or unwilling to meet this commitment, we reach out to them directly to explore a solution to the problem or to transition them off of our service.”

Campbell told the newspaper he would have never chosen Intuit as a payment processor had he known about the policy. “It’s fine, it’s capitalism, and if you don’t want to do business with us, we don’t want to do business with you,” he said.

Intuit admitted reversing the charges “caused an inconvenience” for its affected customers and said it was evaluating its current practices to ensure “a better experience in the future.”

“Intuit as a company respects and abides by the laws in all the countries where we conduct business,” Mclellan said. “As an American company, we respect the US Constitution and all the rights contained in it. Nothing about this matter changes our commitment to this core principle of our company.”