Credit Card Companies to Categorize Firearm Purchases
Each and every purchase made with a credit card is categorized using merchant codes. When you buy grapes at a supermarket or a bowl at Chipotle, the credit card companies track these purchases and classify them. However, firearms have not been treated the same. Each and every firearm purchase has previously been categorized as “general merchandise,” a category that includes magic stores and flower shops. For such a hot button issue, it’s wild to think it hasn’t had its own merchant code already. Visa plans to join Mastercard and American Express in categorizing firearm purchases in hopes of preventing gun crime.. This has been made possible with a new code recently passed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). Visa, being the largest of these companies, will likely bring about much more opposition.
What Supporters Have to Say
Supporters of these advancements say that this new policy will aid in stopping mass shootings before they occur. Many mass shootings were preceded by large purchases at gun stores. For example, prior to the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016, credit cards were used to buy over $26,000 worth of ammunition and firearms to be used in the shooting. Had firearm purchases been monitored as opposed to simply being labeled as general merchandise, this attack could have been prevented.
Many of the supporters of the adoption of merchant codes for firearms have been proponents of gun control for a long time. One of the largest advocates of this has been the California teacher’s fund, which has been in support of gun control for years. It has previously called for background checks on all buyers and asked for retailers to look for irregularities and suspicious purchases.
Opponents Argue Legal Action
As with any decisions regarding firearms, there is going to be strong support and strong opposition. The GOP has two dozen Attorney Generals urging these credit card companies not to adopt the firearm merchant codes stating that it would infringe on consumer privacy. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Attorney General Austin Knudsen argued that “Categorizing the constitutionally protected right to purchase firearms unfairly singles out law-abiding merchants and consumers alike.” They went on to say that if any action was made to implement these merchant codes, legal action will ensue.
Other opponents argue the codes won’t be effective and shouldn’t be implemented due to this. They attest that the type of purchase is tracked and not the actual contents of the purchase, which will result in legal purchases being unfairly targeted. Lars Dalseide, spokesman of the NRA stated, “The 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.” Without question, the opponents will pursue any means necessary in order to stop these merchant codes from being adopted.
Looking Forward
The merchant codes will likely be accepted by Visa, which is a good move for the safety of the American populace. It is just another added layer of much needed protection as there has been a surge of mass shootings in the last two decades. In addition, it makes sense for these firearm purchases to be tracked as many basic purchases have their own specific merchant codes. Of course, there is going to be hard opposition from the GOP and the NRA, but a merchant code for gun stores does not unlawfully prevent anybody from purchasing a firearm, it simply works to stop major atrocities before they can happen.
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