RIVERWOODS, Ill.—Discover Financial Services said it will allow its network to track purchases at gun retailers effective in April, making it the first among the big card associations to publicly give a date for moving ahead with the initiative, which is aimed at helping authorities probe gun-related crimes.
The issue is a controversial one. As CUToday.info reported here, bills have been introduced in Idaho and Florida related to prohibitions for financial institutions when it comes to guns and ammunition.
According to Reuters, Discover's announcement came after the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which decides on the classification of merchant categories used by payment cards, approved in September the launch of a dedicated code for gun retailers.
“Proponents of the move, including gun control activists and Democratic politicians, say it will allow financial institutions to better assist authorities in investigating crimes involving gun violence in the United States,” Reuters said. “While the codes will not show specific items purchased, some Republican politicians have spoken out against the move, arguing it could violate the privacy of U.S. citizens lawfully buying guns.”
A New Code
Discover said it will include the new code in its next policy and product update to merchants and payment partners in April.
"We remain focused on continuing to protect and support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy of cardholders," Discover said in its statement to Reuters.
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