Discover Becomes The First To Begin Tracking Gun Purchases At Retailers In April

In a statement to Reuters Discover said,

We remain focused on continuing to protect and support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy of cardholders.

A spokesperson said

However, the spokesperson noted that Discover is allegedly following other’s leads in this industry, as they too plan to do something similar, but did not name who these entities are. “We were following the industry for consistent implementation,” the spokesperson added.

Reuters reached out to VISA, Mastercard, and American Express but received no response to their inquiries.

There are 57 million Discover cards reportedly in existence.

Last year the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) announced that they were creating a new merchant category code for gun shop sales. The code will show where the guns were purchased and the cost but not the specific items.

Mastercard, VISA, American Express have said that they will be abiding by this new standard, though it appears Discover is the first to publicly give a date when they will start doing it.

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.

Visa said in a statement last year

This policy answers the pleas but anti-gun activists and Democratic politicians who want tighter guns laws.

Independent Journal Review wrote, ‘The concept of the code, according to its proponents, is that an individual racking up one or several large purchases at a gun store could be someone who is planning some type of suspicious activity. Part of the argument against using the code as a harbinger of a mass shooting being planned is that not all expensive purchases at a gun store are weapons. Fox Business, for example, noted that an individual buying a gun safe could spend a significant amount of money trying to be a responsible owner.’

Guns are allowed in the United States and we would fully expect that anybody who wants to buy a gun should be able to buy that gun provided all the other checks are done. On top of that, we’re telling them that we don’t collect [that level of data] for consumers.

So if [Visa’s Chief Communications Officer] K.C. Kavanagh goes into a gun store and buys three thermoses and a tent, and you go in and buy a rifle and five rounds of ammunition, all I know is you both went to the same gun store. I know what gun store, I know when you went, and I know how much money you spent. But I don’t know what you bought.

Former Visa CEO Al Kelly told Time in January

States like Florida and Mississippi have threatened to fight this by implementing a $10,000 fee levied against the financial institutions who attempted to monitor these types of purchases.

In Florida, we take it very seriously to protect consumers’ rights, gun rights and their right to privacy, and I believe that this MCC (merchant category code) would lead to the creation of a registry in essence, potentially having a chilling effect on constitutional rights.

We’re basically putting teeth behind current law in Florida, which prevents government and private registries.

Republican state Sen. Danny Burgess, the bill’s sponsor, explained

The WinePress reported on these early pledges in early-October last year, during a year where the department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) were increasingly (and illegally) going after gun purchasers who bought guns and attachments. Retired Judge Andrew Napolitano explained that one of the ways to get around this is to pay for the guns with cash-in-hand only.

SEE: ATF Is Trying To Quietly Confiscate Weapons And Gun Components. Why You Must Purchase Guns And Ammo With Cash

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Ecclesiastes 9:18

The verse is obviously not condemning owning weapons: Jesus himself told his disciples to sell their garments and buy a sword (Luke 22:36-38). But, understanding the times we live in is key.

Again, if you are going to purchase guns, ammo, attachments and other equipment, strive to do it with cash; and if the gun shop does not have the items you want, have them order it or shop somewhere else. These credit card companies have no right to pry into American’s like this. The government can still figure out who purchased what, but it will take them much longer to investigate if it was done with cash.

Wherefore this is why a CBDC will effectible spell the end of gun ownership and rights, because the banks will then know what you bought; and throttled to a social credit score will stop gun sales immediately.

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[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

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