[bscar]

Exclusive: Discover to enable tracking of purchases at gun retailers from April

Discover Financial Services , a provider of credit cards, told Reuters it will allow its network to track purchases at gun retailers come April, making it the first among its peers to publicly give a date for moving ahead with the initiative, which is aimed at helping authorities probe...

www.reuters.com

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Discover Financial Services (DFS.N), a provider of credit cards, told Reuters it will allow its network to track purchases at gun retailers come April, making it the first among its peers to publicly give a date for moving ahead with the initiative, which is aimed at helping authorities probe gun-related crimes.
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.
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.
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.
A Discover spokesperson said following the publication of the story that other payment network companies had already decided to implement the new code in April, and that Discover was following their lead. The Discover spokesperson declined to name those peers.
"We were following the industry for consistent implementation," the spokesperson said.
Representatives for Discover's major peers -- Visa Inc (V.N), Mastercard Inc (MA.N) and American Express Co (AXP.N) -- declined to comment to Reuters on what their schedules for introducing the new code are. Last fall, the companies said they would work to implement the code while respecting privacy rights.
A representative for Geneva-based ISO said the new code, dubbed "5723 - Gun and ammunition shops" - will be available for financial institutions to use by the end of February.
"The decision to use the new merchant category code is eventually left up to the users in the industry," the ISO representative said.
Discover handled 2% of the $9.56 trillion purchased on U.S. credit and debit cards in 2022, according to industry researcher Nilson Report. Industry leader Visa had a 61% share, Mastercard 26% and American Express 11%.

Discover wanting to know if they could stand to lose gun owners' money to see if they could cater to leftists woke policies

 

[SDProf]

Some youtuber mentioned that Discover gets about 2% of credit card business. You'd think they'd want to hold onto all cardholders they can.

Guess not.

 

[undeRGRound]

I have a Discover debit...
Prolly used it on a gun before.
I can switch to a Mastercard or visa without changing banks, fwiw.

 

[RandyB]

If they're tracking CC and debit card gun purchases just hit the ATM and get cash and go about your gun business . If you can't pay cash them in my humble opinion you can't afford to buy. I always pay in cash for Guns, Ammo and Gas....

 

[bscar]

Some youtuber mentioned that Discover gets about 2% of credit card business. You'd think they'd want to hold onto all cardholders they can.

Guess not.

It says it in the article I posted. 😅

 

[K_Shea]

Discover has been anti-gun for years, they withheld depositing thousands of dollars for months where customers used their card for purchases at my Gun store (now closed), took months to get it back. Immediately stopped taking their card. This new tracking purchases doesn't surprise me, my disdain for Discover is decades old.

 

[histed]

I really doubt that Discover is alone in this. They just got caught first.

 

[adam01364]

I really doubt that Discover is alone in this. They just got discovered first.

Fixed that for ya!

 

[moona11]

I could care less. I use cash. I'd have been more surprised if they haven't been reporting on it for years.

 

[Outlaw]

They could do it once!

 

[undeRGRound]

If they're tracking CC and debit card gun purchases just hit the ATM and get cash and go about your gun business . If you can't pay cash them in my humble opinion you can't afford to buy. I always pay in cash for Guns, Ammo and Gas....

Great Idea!! 😹 (nuck FSA)

Actually I almost always did that, but I wouldn't be surprised if I used the 'Scover Card at least once. Prolly a good idea to use 100% cash from here forward

 

[histed]

Great Idea!! 😹 (nuck FSA)

Actually I almost always did that, but I wouldn't be surprised if I used the 'Scover Card at least once. Prolly a good idea to use 100% cash from here forward

Too late. You're already on every watch list that exists. No worry, though. I'll never tell about the super-secret stash w(m)e dug during the Vid scare.

 

[undeRGRound]

Too late. You're already on every watch list that exists. No worry, though. I'll never tell about the super-secret stash w(m)e dug during the Vid scare.
View attachment 77717

Ur the bestest wingman EVER!!!

 

[histed]

Ur the bestest wingman EVER!!!

That makes me

 

[Mt man]

I guess that means it will be much harder for the inner city thug to use his credit card to buy his bullets and guns!

 

[cicpup]

I guess that means it will be much harder for the inner city thug to use your stolen credit card to buy his bullets and guns!

Fixed that for ya,

 

[Mt man]

Thank you!

 

[ajole]

Not sure I would care.
WTF does Discover do with that data? Is it any more nefarious than the 4473's and background checks?

 

[Mt man]

I believe Discover has agreed to turn info over to the govt ,if and when requested. Another way to track not just guns but the type and amount of ammo bought! Then the govt makes new laws concerning the guns ,ammo possession amounts ,magazine numbers and capacities, and you instantly become a felon ,who by the way is not "allowed" to own weapons! DO NOT GIVE UP ANY OF YOUR RIGHTS,NO MATTER HOW INCONSEQUENTIAL YOU THINK THEY ARE!

 

[adam01364]

In other related news:

Story by Reuters •
(Reuters) - Republican-backed bills introduced in legislatures in several U.S. states target the use of a planned merchant code for credit card transactions at gun retailers that is intended to detect suspicious firearms and ammunition sales.
Major credit and debit card companies have committed to using the "merchant category code" for gun sellers, a development welcomed by gun control advocates who call it an important new tool for investigating suspicious purchases. Critics have said the code could be used to improperly track legal purchases of guns and ammunition.
Here is a look at bills in five states.
FLORIDA
A bill introduced in Florida is meant to prohibit banks and other companies in the payment-settlement process from assigning the code "separately from general merchandise or sporting goods retailers." It is slated for a hearing on Monday before the state Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
MISSISSIPPI
Under a bill introduced in Mississippi, a financial institution or its agent "may not require the usage of or assign" a payment code to a firearms merchant separately from general merchandise retailers or sporting goods retailers. The bill passed the state House of Representatives on Feb. 9 and is under consideration in the state Senate.
OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, WEST VIRGINIA
Bills in these states have similar language including that financial institutions may not decline "lawful payment card transactions" based on the assignment of a firearms code, and may not charge merchants higher transaction or interchange fees based on the codes. West Virginia's bill was passed by the state House of Delegates on Feb. 3 and awaits further action in the state Senate. Oklahoma's bill was introduced on Jan. 18. The Texas bill was introduced on Feb. 24.