Attorneys General Ask Credit Card Companies to Track Gun Sales

The attorneys general of New York and California think Visa, Mastercard and American Express should begin tracking gun sales and flagging suspicious purchases to law enforcement in order to fight the threat of mass shootings.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, have said the credit card companies should do their part to try and prevent shootings and gun trafficking, according to a press release from James’ office.

The proposal hasn’t been adopted, but it could reportedly add more compliance expectations for the financial institutions, which are already expected to flag interactions that could lead to money laundering or terrorism.

The attorneys general want to create a merchant category code (MCC) for all gun sales and to flag suspicious activity, such as large purchases of guns or ammunition, for law enforcement agencies.

“If tracking MCCs could stop just one mass shooting or derail one gun trafficker aiming to flood the streets with guns, the change would be justified,” the two wrote.

MCCs exist for nearly every purchase from groceries to airline sales, but currently none exist for gun sales, according to the press release.

None of the credit card companies responded to a request for comment by PYMNTS.

The Supreme Court recently struck down New York state’s system to issue concealed weapon permits, which required applicants to prove “proper cause” and “good moral character.” New York state lawmakers did pass parts of the system later, prohibiting weapons in some “sensitive places.”

Lawmakers have also recently been looking into a Montana financial company called Credova Financial, which reportedly was offering BNPL options for gun buyers, PYMNTS wrote.

Read more: US Lawmakers Want Answers From Credova on BNPL Gun Sales

Democrats in late August asked about what measures Credova Financial would use to prevent guns purchased with BNPL financing from being resold quickly. A letter addressed to Credova CEO Dusty Wunderlich raised concerns about firearms becoming more easily affordable.