New rules being accepted by credit card companies will allow all gun shop purchases made with a credit card to be tracked as such.
The International Organization for Standardization, an international body, announced Friday that it was creating a new merchant code for gun shop sales. Such stores had formerly been classified as dealers in “general merchandise,” according to Fox Business.
As noted by CNBC, the code will show where a purchase was made and the amount, but not what was bought.
So pay cash. Just another way the libs are listing who owns what weapon.
Credit Card Firms to Start Implementing Code for Gun Stores https://t.co/xwD6Q8Fvmg
— CowboysandAngelsCare (@OkieAngels) September 11, 2022
Visa, Mastercard and American Express have said they will abide by the new rule.
“Following ISO’s decision to establish a new merchant category code, Visa will proceed with next steps, while ensuring we protect all legal commerce on the Visa network in accordance with our long-standing rules,” Visa said in a statement.
“This approval is an important step towards improving coordination with law enforcement and preventing gun violence,” Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts said, according to The New York Times. “In order for this new merchant code to be maximally effective, every financial institution and payment system needs to step up and put it to use.”
Some called for even tighter regulations.
Should firearm purchases be tracked?
These credit card companies must now take the next step and flag suspicious transactions on gun and ammunition sales like they do for fraud and money laundering.
By working together and using the tools at our disposal, we will help protect our communities and save lives.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) September 9, 2022
The National Rifle Association objected to the change.
“The [industry’s] decision to create a firearm-specific code is nothing more than a capitulation to anti-gun politicians and activists bent on eroding the rights of law-abiding Americans one transaction at a time,” National Rifle Association spokesman Lars Dalseide said, according to Fox Business.
The change was sought by Amalgamated Bank of New York, the Times reported.
“This action answers the call of millions of Americans who want safety from gun violence,” Amalgamated Chief Executive Priscilla Sims Brown said, according to Reuters.
The concept of the code, according to its proponents, is that an individual racking up one or several large purchases at a gun store could be someone who is planning some type of suspicious activity.
Confuse the system by convincing your local gun stores to sell books, groceries, and healthcare products.
— Rock Peterson (@TheStarhammer) September 11, 2022
“When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just common sense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores,” New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said, according to Fox Business.
Part of the argument against using the code as a harbinger of a mass shooting being planned is that not all expensive purchases at a gun store are weapons. Fox Business, for example, noted that an individual buying a gun safe could spend a significant amount of money trying to be a responsible owner.
