Three citywide elected officials are asking major credit card companies to create a new merchant category code to track gun sales.

The code would apply to thousands of gun stores nationwide.

“The 6,000 gun and ammunition stores are currently being categorized as miscellaneous. And they are not miscellaneous. They are gun and ammunition stores,” Comptroller Brad Lander said.  

What You Need To Know

  • A merchant category code could alert authorities of suspicious gun purchases

  • Currently, purchases at gun stores show as miscellaneous in credit card statements

  • The city pension funds have a combined investment of about $800 million dollars in American Express, Mastercard and Visa

The same way that a restaurant or grocery store charge shows in a credit card statement next to a specific category code, any purchase at a gun store would have a particular code attached to it.

This would help credit card companies track unusual purchases and suspicious activity.

“We have this code when you purchase other items. Why can’t we have this code when you purchase guns?” Mayor Eric Adams asked.

City officials are using the leverage of three city pension funds in their appeal to American Express, Mastercard and Visa. Those pension funds have a combined investment of about $800 million dollars in those companies.

The credit card industry has opposed the idea in the past.

“If there’s something that we can do right now that is preventative, that holds people accountable, and that simply aligns to what companies are doing anyway, why would you not do it?” advocate Jumaane Williams said.

The International Organization for Standardization, which would be in charge of making this change, will hold its next meeting this fall.