By Larry Keane
Discover credit cards needs to go slogan shopping. The old ones won’t work now that the credit card financial services company has decided to go along with the newly-assigned Merchant Category Code (MCC) for purchases at firearm retailers.
Here are the past slogans that won’t work anymore.
- It pays to Discover.
- The Card That Pays You Back.
- We treat you like you’d treat you.
- Here to help. Not to sell.
Somehow, they all seem disingenuous now that Discover is selling out customers using their credit cards at firearm retailers.
Discover Financial Services announced it will begin using the new controversial codes in April. Reuters reported that Discover will become the first credit card company to use the specific code for purchases at a firearm retailer.
“We remain focused on continuing to protect and support lawful purchases on our network while protecting the privacy of cardholders,” Discover said in its statement to Reuters. To date, no other credit card providers have announced they will adopt the new code.
Discover will track purchases at firearm retailers, but still won’t be able to see what is listed on the sales receipt. This was the brainchild of Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times columnist who proposed that credit card companies and banks could play a pivotal role in ushering gun control outside of public policy channels.
‘Woke’ Banking Gone Wild
That idea of sidestepping Congress and state legislatures to have nameless and unaccountable Wall Street banking executives monitoring and even curtailing Second Amendment rights sounded too good to pass up for Amalgamated Bank’s CEO Priscilla Sims Brown. Amalgamated Bank, a “socially-responsible” bank, pressured the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the specific MCC to categorize firearm retailers. That’s the same bank that refuses to do business with anyone in the gun industry but bankrolls the Democratic National Committee and Political Action Committees including Biden-Harris Democrats, Ready for Hillary (which is Hillary Clinton’s Super PAC), Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) Warren Democrats and former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) PAC, among others.
Real Clear Investigations writer Ben Weingarten exposed the bank for what it truly is. “As the New York Times said of Amalgamated, it is ‘the left’s private banker.’”
SEE ALSO: California Goes Full ‘Woke’ On Banking Discrimination Against Firearm Industry
Amalgamated Bank pressured the ISO to adopt Sorkin’s firearm retailer MCC proposal several times. The first time was in October of 2021, but was rejected. Amalgamated Bank tried again in February 2022 but was unsuccessful. But the third time was the charm. Sims Brown was encouraged by ISO to apply yet again in June 2022, just as Democratic Sen. Warren sent a heavy-handed letter, signed by nearly 30 U.S. senators and Congressional representatives to payment processors pressuring them to get behind Amalgamated Bank’s “woke” MCC scheme.
In September of 2022, the ISO committee declined to endorse the proposed. But this time, on the very same day the proposed was rebuffed for third time the matter was appealed to Geneva, Switzerland, where ISO is headquartered. This immediate appeal did not follow ISO’s prescribed policy for appealing matters. On that same day, ISO reversed the decision and adopted the code. This very unusual process by ISO raises serious questions about the politicization of ISO standard setting. It is something Congress should investigate.
Suspicious Undefined
“The new code will allow us to fully comply with our duty to report suspicious activity and illegal gun sales to authorities without blocking or impeding legal gun sales,” Sims Brown said at the time.
Suspicious activity is never clearly defined. That could be defined later since Sorkin openly said creating the codes is just “the beginning.”
Gun control advocates see this as the proverbial camel’s nose below the tent. NSSF warned that these heavy-handed backdoor intrusions into the free exercise of Second Amendment rights is alarming. Sims Brown and Amalgamated Bank, through an international standards-setting organization, is opening the door to see who is shopping at gun stores. Right now, they can’t drill down to see if a customer was buying a shotgun and ammunition or sleeping bags and a tent. NSSF is working with Congress, state legislatures and attorneys general to prevent this and protect the industry and those it serves.
The other large payment networks all announced back in September they will implement the code and will soon follow Discovery’s lead when they update their network rules.
Discover is the first credit card company to fall in line with this “woke” banking credit card code scheme. They’re just two percent of the credit card business, but they might want to use their own cards to buy new slogans. The old ones of promising not to sell out their customers no longer apply.
Larry Keane is Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs and General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry trade association.
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Here are some new slogan suggestions for Discover
*It costs to Discover.
*The card that stabs you in the back.
*We treat you like a criminal.
*Here to spy. Not to sell.
Go woke go broke, ba bye Discover, don’t need your services.
PS Brown says it’s her “duty” to track Americans purchases, bullshit, it’s not her duty, it’s her power hungry, communist infringement. She’s just another woke b**ch trying to impress her WEF bosses. Everyone these days are talking about Russia being the bad guy and poor, poor Ukraine. Let me tell you, Ukraine had it coming for a long, long time. Pure corrupt country that is letting the elite oligarchs from WEF make the biggest land grab in history, in territory that has always historically been Russia’s territory. I’m not pro Russia, but Ukraine had its chance in WW2 to join the allies, instead it embraced NAZI Germany, now it’s embracing another just as bad as the NAZI’s, the WEF. They are unelected billionaires that have elected themselves to make believe office. Priscilla Sims Brown, Biden, Clintons, Obama, Pritzker, these are the enemy. Not to mention the big boys, Schwaub, Soros, Bloomberg, Gates. Don’t worry about Russia, stop pushing Russia’s buttons and she’ll back off and simmer down. Switzerland and Biden are the real threat to world democracy. Switzerland is the one hosting the anti-firearm, totally fascist WEF, protected by 5000 heavily armed, military guards. And Switzerland is in control of the ISO and huge amounts of world capital. Our corrupt leaders in this country MUST be kicked out to alleviate our problem here at home. Well, enough ranting, totally pisses me off America has come to this in less than a lifetime.
Not going to touch the WWII issues but the US proxy war in the Ukraine should have played out with more diplomatic efforts and avoided. People mention above and also Antony Blinken (his mommy and daddy) manipulated the fake Potus (corrupt, perverts are easily controlled by the deep state) who wanted this war of Christian verse Christian.
That degenerate Zalensky somehow bought his mommy and daddy a $8 million home in Rishpon Israel. A fake Unkrainian to be sure. Look on line and you will see as I did this Zylensky’s cheap act with another low life supposedly playing a piano with their cocks.
NEWSFLASH AMERICA
Zalensky is a scumbag and the fate of world is linked to him and a larger cabal that incudes the fake POTUS (real POS).
I have never had a discover card, now I never will.
I have a Discover card. It stays in my desk drawer. Every year I borrow $20k at 0%, and invest it. I set up auto pay to make sure it is all paid off in time, with no penalty. They love me. I always pay my bill on time. Much more than minimum payment, of course. Shoot, I could even buy a gun for cash (or a tent and sleeping bag). The Feds already know when I buy a gun. I’m sure gonna hate it when they know when I buy a Big Red soda.
So please enlighten us as to which cards are better. My Discover interest rate actually IS lower than either my Mastercard or VISA by 2-3%. Please tell me what C.C. company DOES have lower rates AND is Pro 2A….
You ever heard of a search engine?, stop being lazy and do some research.
Exactly why I don’t have one, nor do I have a B of A or Wells Fargo! They can ALL pound sand!
There are, and have always been, better CC options than Discover. Higher rates and fees than competitors and prey on low income households. Haven’t known anyone in 30 years with a Discover card, but if you are one of the rare holdouts, it’s obviously time to bail.
I have kept one to use at Sam’s, but now that place allows more than Disco… Kept because i earned my credit rating and max limit thru years of use. I seldom use it, only enough to keep them from cancelling it ( about once a year).. Otherwise , NOPE.
I have had Discover blocked from my internet business for a long time. They suck on every level.
buy $600 in camping gear get reported then have the feds show up wanting to find a gun……
“The new code will allow us to fully comply with our duty to report suspicious activity and illegal gun sales to authorities without blocking or impeding legal gun sales,” Sims Brown said at the time.”
Ok so how may firearms traffickers and other criminals are going to basically indict themselves by putting a firearm purchase on a credit card? I’d suggest there’s a more nefarious purpose.
“Suspicious activity is never clearly defined. That could be defined later since Sorkin openly said creating the codes is just “the beginning.”
Just the beginning of…what?
Pay with cash people.
Yeah, well, they’re working on that, too.
Put those tax refunds to good use and pay cash going forward for those shooting sports resupplies while we still have cash as the Federal Reserve is planning to introduce a programmable digital token (digital dollar) in July 2023, and phase in a fully digital currency that sees all of your purchases. Cash and coin are here for a time but will eventually go away. I must be very thrifty now for range trips as that ammo has to last a very long time like the rest of my life. And, I’m surprised that the reporters at Guns America haven’t reported on this life-changing event that will affect all of those who support the 2A, https://www.frbservices.org/financial-services/fednow
I’ve been with Discover since 1986. I sent them a note a while back stating that if they did this I will leave; credit cards and banking both. As painful as it will be I guess it’s time to go.
My wife and I will close our Discover Card accounts immediately. It is truly amazing woke is running the banking business. It is also amazing that local prosecutors do not enforce firearms laws.
So what credit card company is bot and will not use the codes?
The BEST thing to do is avoid “credit cards”, save up for what you want (firearm wise) and PAY CASH.
It appears that the DEMOCOMMUNISTS and their “deep state wealthy elite CABAL”, “handlers” have gotten to these companies, SO, BOYCOTT, and find a “card” that who’s company has not been BRIBED if you think you NEED a “credit card”, because there ARE companies out there that still believe in the constitution and FREEDOM.
BTW, “Big Brother” has no business WHAT you are purchasing. THAT Just another card I will be chopping up.
If you have a discover card, call them and state you will cancel their card in, 30 DAYS, if they do not rescind this avenue of government suppression. I have……
As ‘DISCOVER”…Goes to the “dark Side”….I will not support any of their efforts!
I will stick with Freedom, & the American way!
Avoid the death trap of the “Demofar”t party, & it’s baby killing ghouls!
Totally “UN-AMERICAN”….it makes me mad as hell!
MC and VISA were already doing this!
We will immediately address this issue with Discover.
A pathetic attempt of an “also ran” credit card company to garner business and sympathy from the sheeple in a vain attempt to climb out of the shadows of their competitors. I hope this little stunt drives them into bankruptcy.
yeah “discover” who is a gun owner now!
Time to say Bye Bye to the Comunist card
Patriots need to cancel their Discover card
Why stop there? Years ago I lived in a rural mountain area two miles off the county road, my wife was gone for a couple of weeks for her job and the neighbors became suspicious after finding a receipt for trash bags, zip ties, duct tape and a shovel.
Were the neighbors digging through your trash?
ANNND we don’t use DISCOVER !!!