NASHVILLE, Tenn.–Twenty-three state attorneys general have sent a letter to Visa, Mastercard and American Express with a warning to the three companies over their recent announcement they will separately categorize purchases at gun shops.
As CUToday.info reported here, the move has been considered a victory for gun control advocates who have argued the decision will help alert law enforcement to potentially illegal firearm sales. The payment processors announced the change after the International Organization for Standardization, a Geneva-based nonprofit, approved the creation of a merchant code for gun retailers.
But the 23 attorneys general, all Republicans, said the plan by the card companies’ could lead to the misuse of consumer data and wouldn’t protect the public.
“Categorizing the constitutionally protected right to purchase firearms unfairly singles out law-abiding merchants and consumers alike,” the letter states, according to a review by the Wall Street Journal.
Tennessee, Montana AGs Lead Effort
The effort is being led by the offices of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.
Until the change announced by Visa, Mastercard and Amex, sales by gun merchants had been long been categorized under broader groups such as specialty retailers or durable-goods sellers.
In interviews, both Knudsen and Skrmetti told the Journal they could launch investigations into the companies if they moved forward with the gun-shop code.
“We will marshal the full scope of our lawful authority to protect our citizens and consumers from unlawful attempts to undermine their constitutional rights,” the letter states.
The Journal noted that merchant codes generally don’t identify the product a card user is buying. Instead, they describe the type of store where a purchase was made. That means transactions with the gun-shop MCC might involve gun purchases, hunting gear or a gun safe, among other things, the report added.
Companies Respond
Visa, Mastercard and Amex told the Journal the new merchant code will function just like others and won’t stop gun purchases from happening, and that they won’t allow purchases to be blocked based solely on the merchant code.
“We do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters,” Visa said in a posting, according to the Journal.
In its statement, Mastercard added, “If we identify unauthorized blocking or intentional restrictions of legal commerce, we will take swift action to address such activity.”