How Much Does Digital 4473 Software Cost?
If you're an FFL considering the switch from paper to electronic 4473, one of the first questions you'll ask is: what does it cost?
It's a fair question — and one that doesn't have a single answer. Digital 4473 software is priced differently depending on the vendor, the features included, and your store's transaction volume. Some platforms charge per form. Some charge a flat monthly fee. Some bundle the 4473 into a broader point-of-sale system. And some nickel-and-dime you with add-ons for features that should be standard.
This guide breaks down how digital 4473 software is typically priced, what should be included in any plan worth paying for, what drives the cost up or down, the hidden costs of staying on paper, and how to think about ROI when evaluating the investment.
How digital 4473 software is typically priced
Most electronic 4473 platforms use one of three pricing models:
Per-form pricing
You pay a fee for every Form 4473 processed through the system. This model scales with your volume — low-volume stores pay less, high-volume stores pay more. Per-form pricing is straightforward and predictable if your transaction volume is consistent, but it can get expensive quickly for busy stores.
Watch out for: Per-form pricing that seems cheap at low volumes but adds up fast. If you process 200 forms a month at $2–5 per form, that's $400–1,000/month — potentially more than a flat-rate plan.
Monthly or annual subscription
You pay a flat monthly or annual fee for access to the platform, regardless of how many forms you process. This model is simpler to budget for and rewards higher-volume stores, since the per-form cost decreases as your volume increases.
Some vendors offer tiered subscription plans — a base tier with core features and higher tiers that add cloud storage, the ATF audit portal, advanced reporting, or multi-location support.
Bundled with point of sale
Some digital 4473 platforms are built into a broader point-of-sale system. In this model, the 4473 software is part of your POS subscription — not a separate line item. E4473 is a native integration with Bravo Store Systems, which means the 4473 functionality is built directly into the platform your store already runs on.
Bundled pricing is often the best value because you're not paying for two separate systems, and the integration between your POS, A&D records, and 4473 workflow eliminates the data silos and double entry that come with standalone products.
What should be included in every plan
Regardless of price or pricing model, there are features that should be standard in any digital 4473 platform. If a vendor charges extra for any of these, that's a red flag:
Digital Form 4473 completion
The core product. Customers complete the form on a smartphone, tablet, kiosk, or computer. The form should include built-in ATF help language, smart logic that skips irrelevant fields, and real-time validation that catches errors before submission. This is the baseline — if this isn't included, it's not a digital 4473 product.
E-signatures
Both the buyer's signature and the FFL employee's signature should be captured electronically, compliant with ATF Ruling 2016-2 and the E-SIGN Act. Signatures on a device screen, tablet, or optional hardware pad. E-signatures should not be a paid add-on — they're a fundamental part of the electronic 4473 workflow.
NICS background check integration
The buyer's data from the completed digital form should flow directly into the NICS submission — no re-typing, no double entry. The NTN and response should be recorded automatically. If the platform requires you to manually enter data into a separate NICS portal, it's not truly integrated.
Multi-device support
The system should work on any device with a browser and an internet connection — iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chrome OS. No proprietary apps, no special hardware requirements. Your customers should be able to use their own phone.
Automated Form 3310
ATF Form 3310.4 (Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers) should be generated automatically when a qualifying transaction occurs. This is a compliance feature, not a premium feature.
Current form version
The platform should always reflect the latest ATF Form 4473 revision. When the ATF updates the form, the vendor updates the software. You should never have to worry about using an outdated version.
Features that may cost more — and when they're worth it
Some features are legitimately premium and may justify a higher-tier plan or additional cost:
Cloud Storage
E4473 Cloud Storage stores completed forms digitally for up to 20 years in an encrypted, unalterable format with daily on-site backup, organized retrieval, and record segregation. This is the feature that eliminates filing cabinets entirely. Not every FFL needs cloud storage on day one — some prefer to print and file forms while using the digital system for completion and NICS — but for stores that want to go fully paperless, cloud storage is essential.
Cloud storage is a premium feature because it involves long-term data retention, encryption, backup infrastructure, and ATF compliance requirements that go beyond form completion. It's worth paying for if you want to eliminate paper storage entirely.
ATF Audit Portal
A dedicated, restricted-access environment where your IOI agent can search, view, and print stored 4473 records during compliance inspections. This is typically bundled with Cloud Storage since it only makes sense if your forms are stored digitally. The audit portal turns multi-day paper inspections into multi-hour digital inspections.
Self-audit mode
The ability for your own staff to review stored records the same way an ATF inspector would — searching, verifying, and catching problems before they're found during an official inspection. Like the audit portal, this is usually bundled with Cloud Storage and is a significant compliance advantage. For guidance on conducting self-audits, see our ATF inspection preparation guide.
Multi-location support
If you operate more than one store, you may need a plan that supports multiple locations under a single account with centralized reporting and management. This is a legitimate reason for higher-tier pricing.
Training and onboarding
Some vendors include on-demand training videos, step-by-step guides, and dedicated onboarding support in every plan. Others charge for it. Training should ideally be included — your staff and your IOI agents need to know how to use the system, and paying extra for that knowledge doesn't make sense.
What to watch out for
The digital 4473 market has matured enough that most vendors offer a solid core product. But there are still pricing traps and warning signs:
Per-form fees that escalate
Some platforms offer a low introductory per-form rate that increases after a certain volume threshold or after the first year. Read the terms carefully. Ask what the per-form cost will be at your expected volume after the introductory period.
Charging for e-signatures
E-signatures are a core component of electronic 4473 — not an add-on. If a vendor charges extra for the ability to capture electronic signatures, they're monetizing a feature that should be standard. Every tier of E4473 includes e-signatures at no additional cost.
Charging for NICS integration
Same principle. If the digital 4473 doesn't integrate with NICS — requiring your staff to manually re-enter information into a separate portal — it's not solving one of the biggest problems it should solve. True NICS integration should be included.
Separate fees for compliance updates
When the ATF revises Form 4473, the vendor should update the platform at no additional charge. If you're being asked to pay for "compliance updates" or "form version upgrades," question whether the vendor is investing in the product or treating regulatory changes as a revenue opportunity.
Long-term contracts with no flexibility
Some vendors lock FFLs into multi-year contracts. This can be fine if the product is solid and the pricing is fair, but make sure you understand the terms. What happens if you close a location? What if you switch POS systems? What if the product doesn't meet your needs? Look for vendors that earn your business month to month.
No demo or trial period
If a vendor won't show you the product before you pay for it, that's a signal. Any reputable digital 4473 provider should offer a live demo where you can see the form, the FFL dashboard, the NICS workflow, and the storage and audit features. E4473 offers a free 15-minute demo with no obligation.
The hidden costs of staying on paper
When evaluating the cost of digital 4473 software, most FFLs only compare the subscription price against their current cost of paper forms. But the true cost of staying on paper goes far beyond the price of the forms themselves:
Time
Every paper 4473 takes longer than a digital one. The customer fills it out by hand. Your staff reviews it, catches errors, hands it back for corrections. Then they re-enter the data into NICS manually. Multiply that extra time by every transaction you process and the labor cost adds up quickly.
NICS transcription errors
Manual data entry from handwritten forms into the NICS E-Check portal introduces errors — misspelled names, transposed birth dates, wrong identification numbers. These errors cause unnecessary delays, waste time, and in rare cases can result in a false proceed or false denial.
Storage space
Filing cabinets, boxes, storage rooms, and off-site storage units all cost money — either in direct rental fees or in the opportunity cost of retail space consumed by paper records.
ATF violations
Form 4473 errors are the number one source of ATF violations. Every violation that results from illegible handwriting, a blank field, a missing signature, or a missing NTN is a violation that digital validation would have prevented. The cost of a violation isn't just the warning letter — it's the compliance history that follows your license and the increased scrutiny that comes with it.
Data security risk
Paper forms containing Social Security Numbers, home addresses, government ID numbers, and criminal history answers sitting in unlocked filing cabinets represent a significant data security liability. A breach or theft of those records creates legal exposure that dwarfs the cost of a digital subscription.
Audit disruption
An ATF inspection with paper records can consume days of your staff's time — pulling boxes, searching for forms, organizing records for the inspector. With digital storage and the ATF Audit Portal, that same inspection takes hours.
How to think about ROI
The return on investment for digital 4473 software isn't just about comparing the subscription cost against the price of paper forms. It's about the total operational impact:
Time recovered
If digital 4473 saves 5–10 minutes per transaction and you process 100 forms a month, that's 8–16 hours of staff time recovered every month. At the labor rates you pay your counter staff, that time has a dollar value.
Violations avoided
Every ATF violation that doesn't happen because the digital system caught the error is a violation that won't appear on your inspection record. The cost of a clean compliance history is difficult to quantify until you don't have one.
Storage eliminated
Calculate what you currently spend on filing cabinets, boxes, storage space, and the square footage they occupy. Cloud storage replaces all of it.
Faster inspections
Estimate the business disruption cost of a multi-day paper inspection versus a half-day digital inspection. Less time with an inspector in your store means less impact on your daily operations.
Customer experience
A modern, efficient 4473 process — where customers use their own phone instead of a clipboard — creates a better buying experience. That's harder to put a dollar value on, but it translates to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.
How E4473 pricing works
E4473 is priced in tiered packages based on your store's transaction volume and the features you need. Here's what every plan includes at baseline:
Digital ATF Form 4473 completion on any device
E-signatures — buyer and FFL, on screen or optional Topaz pad
NICS background check integration with zero double entry
Built-in ATF help language and smart form validation
Automated Form 3310 reporting
Multi-user support — employees and customers simultaneously
Cross-platform access — iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Chrome OS
Current form version — always up to date with ATF revisions
Native integration with Bravo Store Systems
Higher tiers add Cloud Storage, the ATF Audit Portal, self-audit mode, digital document attachments, and training resources.
Pricing is based on volume, so the right plan depends on how many forms your store processes. The best way to see pricing for your specific situation is to schedule a demo — our team will walk you through the platform and recommend the right tier based on your volume.
The bottom line
Digital 4473 software is an operational expense — just like your POS system, your internet connection, or your security system. The question isn't whether it costs money. It's whether the cost is justified by what you get in return.
For most FFLs, the math is straightforward. The time saved, the errors prevented, the storage eliminated, and the audit readiness gained add up to more than the subscription fee. And the compliance risk you're eliminating — the violations, the warning letters, the possibility of revocation — has a value that's hard to overstate.
Paper forms are free. But paper compliance isn't.
See pricing for your store: Schedule a free 15-minute demo and our team will walk you through E4473, answer your questions, and show you the plan that fits your volume. No obligation, no pressure.