The announcement follows the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) September approval for the implementation of a dedicated code for gun retailers. The ISO determines the merchant categories used by credit cards.
Gun control proponents claim the move will assist law enforcement in investigating gun-related crimes.
The Geneva-based ISO reported the new code will be “5723 — Gun and ammunition shops.”
Visa has already agreed to flag firearm and ammo purchases through the creation of a new sales category. Meanwhile, Mastercard and other credit card issuers also gave in to pressure from anti-gun lobbyists and agreed to flag gun purchases.
Discover, however, became the first in the industry to announce a date to move forward with specifically marking weapons sales. This action was first reported by the Independent Journal Review (IJR). According to the publication, “anyone using a Discover card to make a purchase in a gun store will have their purchase tracked, beginning in April.”
For Discover alone, the effects are sweeping. There are over 55 million of its cards in circulation, which means much information may be rounded up by just one company.
And despite that impressive number of credit cards issued, Discover is a relatively small player in the $9.56 trillion purchased annually on credit and debit cards by U.S. consumers. The company handled 2% of the transactions.
That is compared with Visa’s 61% share, Mastercard’s 26% and American Express’ 11%.
The company told Reuters, “We remain focused on continuing to protect and support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy of cardholders.”
The company reported that it will include the new firearms code in its upcoming policy and product update to merchants next month.
Discover told the outlet that other payment companies were already on board with the change coming in April, and that it was following their lead. The spokesperson did not indicate which companies are also making the switch but said “we were following the industry for consistent implementation.”
While the ISO approved the new code for tracking gun purchases last year, it is up to the card issuers to follow suit. An ISO representative explained “the decision to use the new merchant category code is eventually left up to the users in the industry.”
The new code does not show the specific items purchased, but critics charge that the move may violate the privacy of U.S. citizens legally purchasing guns.
The use of the new code is a change from previous policy that categorized gun store sales as “general merchandise.” It is widely seen as a victory for gun control advocates, who assert that the move will better enable tracking of surges of gun sales.
However, gun rights advocates and gun lobbyists counter that the overwhelming majority of gun and ammo sales do not lead to mass shootings. They are merely the results of law-abiding Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights.
There is no doubt that pushback is coming, particularly from legal groups and possibly states that strongly back the right to keep and bear arms. Many will see this move as laying the groundwork for an international database of gun purchases and ownership.
The forces fighting daily to deny Second Amendment rights have international partners who desire to strip liberties away from peaceful gun owners. Firearms owners may need to reconsider purchasing methods when acquiring new weapons from retailers. This change will undoubtedly be a tool for anti-gun forces to wield in their battle against gun ownership.
