Last Updated on September 12, 2022
Payment processor companies will begin classifying gun sales in their own unique category to help the federal government track which Americans are buying firearms.
Payment processor Visa, along with Mastercard and American Express announced Friday they will officially adopt the International Organization for Standardization’s unique merchant code for gun sales.
The new merchant code was adopted by the International Organization for Standardization on Friday. Up until Friday, gun store sales were labeled to be “general merchandise.”
Democrats and gun control advocates have praised this move. Democrat New York City mayor Eric Adams called the move “common sense.”
“When you buy an airline ticket or pay for your groceries, your credit card company has a special code for those retailers. It’s just common sense that we have the same policies in place for gun and ammunition stores,” Adams said.
Second Amendment advocates believe this new tracking system will unfairly hurt those who legally bear arms. Since the new code will apply to all gun store merchants, even purchases like gun safes, training aids, etc. will be categorized as gun sales.
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“The (industry’s) decision to create a firearm specific code is nothing more than a capitulation to anti-gun politicians and activists bent on eroding the rights of law-abiding Americans one transaction at a time,” Lars Dalseide, a National Rifle Association (NRA) spokesman said.
Dalseide and the NRA believe this could lead to a “national registry of gun owners.”
“This is not about tracking or prevention or any virtuous motivation — it’s about creating a national registry of gun owners,” Dalseide explained.
Second amendment supporters took to social media to encourage Americans to buy firearms with cash as a way to subvert the system. Other social media users suggested this move will be ineffective at stopping gun violence since criminals can still buy guns with cash.
“Crooks don’t take or use Visa. Illegal gun sales are a cash-only business. This move by @Visa is a corporate/government collusion to track LAW ABIDING CITIZENS. #STOPUSINGVISA for anything you buy,” one Twitter user posted.
Stay tuned to National File for any updates.
RELATED: Massachusetts: State Troopers Get Fired, Lose Their Gun Rights For Not Accepting COVID Jabs