WASHINGTON–The credit card processors continue to find themselves dragged into the debate around gun rights in the United States.
Following the Parkland school shooting in Florida, UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization, is calling on Visa, Mastercard, and other major credit and card companies to refuse to process sales from retailers who sell assault weapons.
In a statement, UltraViolet noted that companies such as PayPal and Apple Pay have already banned the purchase of firearms for people using their services and is arguing that if Congress continues to fail on implementing legislation that will curb gun violence, it is up to banks and credit card companies to take action.
UltraViolet said Visa, Mastercard and bank cards from JP Morgan, Citibank and Bank of America already refuse to process sales for those buying Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
“While Congress lines its pockets with money from the NRA, children are being gunned down on a regular basis,” said Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, in a released statement. “While Congress has failed to act, major credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard must help curb the epidemic of gun violence by making it harder to buy assault weapons. These companies have the power to act to help save lives—and it's now time for them to step up and take action.”
UltraViolet reported that more than 32,000 people signed on to its petition over a 24-hour period.