Louisiana Shoppers Beware – Credit Cards Tracking These Purchases

Louisiana lovers of personal freedom might want to start paying cash instead of using the convenience of a debit or credit card. The reason? It has been revealed that several of the major credit card companies are in the process of asking for permission to track some of your specific purchases. The reason for that tracking is to provide data and information to the federal government.

Credit card companies such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express have long used categories as a means to show consumers where they are spending their money. For example, a trip to McDonald's might show up on your credit card statement under the category of restaurants. But the receipt doesn't show exactly what you bought.

But this new proposal by the credit card companies to appease a California law will get more specific about any purchases related to firearms, weapons, ammunition, and accessories. This will make it easier for federal and state law enforcement agencies to track firearms purchases in Louisiana and across the country as well.

Currently firearms sales and sales of ammunition are coded very similarly to other purchases made as sporting goods. Under the new proposal, the categorization would single out weapons, ammo, and firearms differently than say a fishing pole or a pair of hunting socks.

As you might imagine the proposal is not being met very warmly in states where 2nd Amendment Rights are important. Louisiana is one of those states. There are currently seven states that have banned the implementation of such a code with nine others looking to implement some form of ban or restriction.

To be fair to the credit card companies, they are not pushing this agenda. That is being done on a state-by-state basis although some are issuing a call that it be done on a national level as a means of preventing gun violence.

It would make sense if criminals and ne'er do wells obtained their weapons and firearms through legal channels. According to the Gun Facts website, some 93% of guns used in crimes are obtained illegally. Maybe we should focus on those guns instead of the weapons being purchased by law-abiding citizens who are responsible gun owners.