Firm Attempts To Track Gun, Ammo Credit Card Purchases

by
posted on June 30, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Firm Attempts

Amalgamated Bank, based in New York, N.Y., had its application to establish a merchant category code for credit card purchases of firearms and ammunition denied for a second time recently in by the International Standards Organization. CBS News reported on June 20 that the firm believes with the designation, “… it could run software to detect purchases in the same way it detects evidence of other suspicious activity, like fraud and human trafficking.”

With the code law enforcement would be notified if a purchase or purchases met the as-yet undisclosed standard. “We could see the patterns of behavior that would indicate to us that there is something not right here," Priscilla Sims Brown, Amalgamated Bank CEO, told CBS News.

The initial application for a new code was submitted by Amalgamated Bank in July 2021 and denied that October. A member of the review committee at the time explained part of the concern was assigning a number to a relatively small number of retailers could prove burdensome to a system already inundated with designations.

In addition, the denial e-mail explained, sporting goods stores already have a unique code. Firearm and ammo purchases at one of them would fall under that designation and never be subject to the software inspection. Efforts to establish a code specific to firearms and ammunition purchases were also in the headlines three years ago. 

Mastercard issued a formal statement to CBS News explaining, “We believe that it is the responsibility of elected officials to enact meaningful policies to address the issue of gun violence, while it remains Mastercard’s role to ensure that consumers are permitted to make lawful purchases on our network.”

Amalgamated Bank markets itself as “America’s Socially Responsible Bank.” The company’s About Us page explains, “We’re political animals, banking hundreds of progressive political organizations, campaigns and candidates.”

Banking institutions, by law, are required to maintain most financial records for a minimum of five years.

Latest

Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto
Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Review: Ruger LC Carbine In 10 mm Auto

Following the success of its .45 ACP-chambered LC Carbine, Ruger realized that this platform would go a long way toward making the 10 mm Auto more controllable and fun to shoot, and a new 10 mm version was released in 2024.

The Armed Citizen® July 14, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Favorite Firearms: A Little Stevens From Chicago

"Over the next five or six years, and before I went off to college, I fired hundreds and hundreds of rounds of .22 BB Caps, CB Caps, Shorts and Longs through this rifle."

Preview: Strike Industries T-Bone Charging Handle

The T-Bone from Strike Industries is an ideal fit for suppressed applications, as it can be configured by the user to redirect gas blowback entirely to either side ...

New For 2025: Weatherby Model 307 Range XP 2.0 & Alpine ST Rifles

Weatherby's Model 307 bolt-action rifle opens up a world of aftermarket components to consumers, thanks to its Model 700 receiver footprint, and the company now has two new models for hunters and sport shooters.

Preview: Thunderbolt To The Rebels | The United States Sharpshooters In The Civil War

Author Darin Wipperman provides a tantalizing glimpse into the world of Berdan’s sharpshooters during the American Civil War.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.