Credit card companies
cave to lawmaker demands
By Tom Knighton. Sept 12, 2022
New York lawmakers and anti-gun activists wanted credit card companies to start requiring a special code for gun purchases. They said it was so the companies could flag "suspicious" gun purchases.
However, despite the pressure, there didn't seem to be a law in the works to force the issue.
Yet, anyway.
Yet with the pressure coming from the governor of New York, among others, it seemed there was a certain degree of threat to that pressure.
And, unfortunately, they caved.
Visa, Mastercard, and American Express will separately categorize purchases at gun shops in a win for gun control advocates who say the decision will help alert law enforcement to potentially illegal firearm sales.
According to The Associated Press, the payment processors announced the change on Saturday, after the International Organization for Standardization, a Geneva-based nonprofit, approved the creation of a merchant code for gun retailers.
Until Friday, gun store sales did not have a unique code and were considered "general merchandise," according to a spokeswoman for the ISO.
"Following ISO's decision to establish a new merchant category code, Visa will proceed with next steps, while ensuring we protect all legal commerce on the Visa network in accordance with our long-standing rules," the company said in a statement to Insider.
AmericanExpress said it will work with its third-party processors and partners to implement the new merchant category codes. ... [...] ..... 
Two closely associated articles can also be found:
NRA slams credit card companies over latest move, - and -
Anti-gun banker claims millions support credit card move
As the saying goes - "Is nothing sacred".
