United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- The saga of the new Merchant Category Code (MCC) for gun and ammo purchases has seen a good first step come from some state attorneys general, but perhaps the best news came from a credit card company.
You might recall that New York Attorney General Letitia James was among those pushing for the new code, and celebrated its imposition by the International Standards Organization. But there are forces at work other than that of James in this country: A letter, signed by multiple state attorneys general, is warning the credit card companies not to go through with the new code.
That is a good thing – if nothing else, pro-Second Amendment AGs will provide some layer of protection. It may come down to passing some serious legislation to address financial deplatforming, but we have a good start from the AGs.
The best news on this front, though, comes from one of the credit card companies. A September 13 blog post by Visa provides some interesting reading – not just on the background of MCCs, but also how that company views the situation at this time.
The Visa blog post is worth noting for a couple of reassuring notes. First, the post states, “MCCs do not give Visa or any other payment network visibility into product-level data, also known as ‘SKU-level’ data. When we process a transaction, we have no visibility into what items a consumer is purchasing — this is true irrespective of which MCC applies to a merchant.”
In other words, Visa is not going to know what you buy – it just notes “this purchase was made at a gun store.” So, at least in Visa’s case, if you decide to use a credit card, it’s not going to know if you bought a rifle, a bunch of ammo or accessories (like a new sight or scope).
Visa, though, went further, in the post, with comments Second Amendment supporters should take heart from.
“We do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters. Asking private companies to decide what legal products or services can or cannot be bought and from what store sets a dangerous precedent. Further, it would be an invasion of consumers’ privacy for banks and payment networks to know each of our most personal purchasing habits. Visa is firmly against this,” the post states.
Given that NYSRPA v. Bruen has, in all likelihood, provided the constitutional basis to strike down gun bans, at least for now, Visa is saying they won’t go into financial deplatforming.
“A fundamental principle for Visa is protecting all legal commerce throughout our network and around the world and upholding the privacy of cardholders who choose to use Visa. That has always been our commitment, and it will not change with ISO’s decision,” Visa’s blog post continues. “Our rules require financial institutions involved in transactions to evaluate and process all legal transactions. Our network does not allow any financial institution member to deny transactions for the purchase of legal goods or services based on which MCC they fall under.”
These comments seem very unambiguous on Visa’s part. Second Amendment supporters should, at the very least, thank Visa for making it clear. A thank you costs us very little, but could pay dividends down the road.
Despite that, corporate gun control and financial deplatforming are serious threats in the wake of the Bruen decision, and vigilance will be required on our parts to prevent backsliding. Another Sandy Hook or Uvalde could alter the situation drastically and greatly increase the pressure from the likes of Letitia James or Elizabeth Warren.
While defeating anti-Second Amendment extremists at the federal, state, and local levels via the ballot box is crucial, we will also need to support those companies that do take a stand against private-sector gun control so that we can defeat anti-Second Amendment extremism in corporate boardrooms.
About Harold Hutchison
Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.
Our Attorney general in Montana sent a very clear message to these credid card companies that any tracking of gun or ammo purchases in Montana will be considered an invasion of our privacy and they will not be doing buisness in Montana if they enact these practices . Thank you Austin Knutson for standing up for Montanans.
ther were a few states that said any company using these codes could not do buisness with state
Complete Bravo Sierra. Every single incremental encroachment of our freedom’s & right’s is by design & it’s not necessary for any government or bankers to know how any Law Abiding citizen spends their $ from the fruit’s of they’re labor no matter what the contrived rationalization is. Universal Basic Income is the goal but as always there are strings attached. Name one regime in twistory that’s people/citizens ever thrived b/c of tyranny or fascism ?
TNSTAAFL – No such thing as a free Lunch.
Robert Heinlein
Nice reference but you missed a letter
TANSTAAFL – There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
Moon is a harsh mistress – one of the best books of all time 🙂
Also: “Anything free is worth what you pay for it.”
sometimes free costs more in the long run than just paying the price of a new item
So, the answer is to flood the system. Buy your kids a tee shirt the next time you visit Bass Pro or Cabelas, use your credit card. This kind of magical thinking by the Progressive New Left is what is causing the collapse of that ideology. First, the advocate policies that have no basis in public policy analysis: no logical and beneficial outcome. Secondly, policy is not directed at logical or beneficial outcomes but is directed at vilified classes. They always fail the ‘shoe on the other foot’ logic tests. Case in point: should credit card companies have a MCC… Read more »
Spelling correction thank you Austin Knudsen for standing up for our rights in Montana .
If they had already had a code for gun shops we wouldn’t think anything of it. But they haven’t, ever, for all the decades they have been coding retailers. They had sporting goods, and that was good enough. It was only in the current fraught political climate, under calls from people with a clear and open agenda, that they added the category. Eventually they will have the granularity to see exactly what you bought and they may develop that for guns before other products. I am more and more convinced that as long as we aren’t harming another person or… Read more »
I hear that male prostitution is supposed to be a no-brainer.
Well for myself I trust them to the point it’s all cash from now on.
In God we trust, all others, not so much.
as far as you can throw them
All others pay cash.
It is so reassuring to hear that another attempt to take away rights and spy on gun users isn’t completely effective. It really warms the heart.
“We do not believe private companies should serve as moral arbiters. Our network does not allow any financial institution member to deny transactions for the purchase of legal goods or services based on which MCC they fall under.” OH, YEAH, GREAT! . . . for now . . . but as the authoritarianism grows, who knows? The first step is taken. And they did say, it’s a FIRST STEP! It is true, the Second Amendment “OFF SWITCH” is already in place as a background check system, as was seen in many states during riots as gun sales surged, state systems… Read more »
Thank God Visa realized that if this anti-gun demand was allowed to exist, what would the marxist left demand next? A separate code for light bulbs, cigarettes, what kind of adult beverage you buy at your local liquor store, or watering hole, What kind of meat you buy, organic or ordinary food etc……….? The list could go on for ever.
if you buy gas instead of charging your electric
….what if you buy electricity gas?
just think someone looked in mirror and said I drive a ……sports car they may come after me next, better jump off this train before it wreaks(or better reeks)
I knew it.