Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
New code, backed by NY lawmakers, will help credit card companies track gun purchases
By
Samantha Max
Published Sep 9, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Artas via Getty Images
By
Samantha Max
Published Sep 9, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It will soon be easier for financial institutions to flag suspicious purchases at gun and ammunition stores.
An international standards body has voted to approve a measure that will allow credit card companies to track transactions at firearm dealers, in the same way that they already track sales at most other types of retailers.
The decision comes amid mounting pressure from gun control advocates and public officials. Dozens of New York state lawmakers and members of Congress sent letters to the leaders of major credit card companies, urging them to use their clout to support the measure. Three pension systems in New York City, one in California, and the attorneys general in both of those states also joined the calls, along with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and city Comptroller Brad Lander. Many of them celebrated the news on Friday.
“This is a smart, common-sense measure that will track suspicious gun and ammunition sales — saving lives and making our cities safer,” Adams said in a press release.
Hochul said she was “grateful to the business leaders who stepped up and joined the fight to protect public safety — here in New York and across the nation.”
“Together we can stop gun trafficking and keep New Yorkers safe,” she said.
This is a smart, common-sense measure that will track suspicious gun and ammunition sales — saving lives and making our cities safer.
Mayor Eric Adams
Credit card providers categorize purchases with merchant category codes for different types of retailers. There are unique codes for many kinds of stores and service providers, including sporting goods stores, women’s accessory stores, and shops for candy, nuts, and confectionery. But until now, there has been no separate code for firearm retailers. Instead, they have typically been grouped into a “miscellaneous” category that also includes party supply stores and sunglasses shops, or a “durable goods” category that also tracks purchases at stores specializing in gas lighting fixtures and musical instruments, according to a Mastercard reference booklet.
Supporters of a new code argue it could flag to detect large purchases of firearms and ammunition, which could be trafficked or used in mass shootings. Second Amendment advocates, on the other hand, worry it could invade people’s privacy or prevent people from legally purchasing guns.
To create new codes, financial institutions have to make their pitch to the International Organization for Standardization, which brings together business leaders from around the world to set different regulatory measures, including merchant category codes. Major credit card companies have seats at the table.
The campaign to use this little-known financial tool to target gun violence has been years in the making, stemming from the efforts of New York-based Amalgamated Bank, which refers to itself as “America’s socially responsible bank.” The bank submitted an application to the standards group in 2021 to create a firearm and ammunition store code, without success. This year, it tried again.
Amalgamated received notification that the code had been approved early this morning.
“Once implemented, the new merchant category code for gun stores will save lives by stemming the flow of guns to the black market and giving law enforcement information that could prevent mass shootings,” Maura Keaney, Amalgamated’s first vice president, said in a statement.
Now that the International Organization for Standardization has approved Amalgamated’s application, it will be up to individual financial institutions to decide if they want to use it. Otherwise, they can continue to lump gun dealers into the “miscellaneous” and “durable goods” categories.
American Express said in a statement that it will follow its “usual business practices” to determine how to meet its “regulatory and fiduciary responsibilities.” Mastercard said it is looking into how merchants and banks will implement the new code “to support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy and decisions of individual cardholders.” Visa did not respond to a request for comment.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation called the decision to create a new code for firearm and ammunition retailers “flawed on its premise.”
“This decision chills the free exercise of constitutionally protected rights and does nothing to assist law enforcement with crime prevention or holding criminals accountable,” spokesperson Mark Oliva said in a statement. “Attaching codes specific to firearm and ammunition purchases casts a dark pall by gun control advocates who are only interested in disarming lawful gun owners.”
Tagged
public safety
new york state
Politics
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
Nearly 1 million in the city risk losing benefits as a result of new federal restrictions.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
By
James Ramsay
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .