Mastercard True Name cards

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Mastercard launches True Name cards to make paying with credit cards easier for trans and non-binary communities
Published Mon, Jun 17 2019 3:49 PM EDT

Mastercard announced on Monday, June 17, its True Name™ card initiative, which will allow for chosen names to appear on the front of consumers’ cards.

Many members in the LGBTQ community, particularly trans and non-binary people, have run into issues purchasing items with a credit card and been faced with discrimination. In fact, Mastercard shared research that found nearly one-third of individuals who have shown IDs with a name or gender that did not match their presentation reported negative experiences, including being harassed, denied services and/or attacked.

Mastercard did some research into its network’s rules to understand if there were requirements for individuals to include their legal names on their cards and found that there weren’t. This spurred the True Name card initiative.

“It first starts with their name, that’s who they are, that’s their identity,” Randall Tucker, chief inclusion officer for Mastercard, tells CNBC Make It. With Mastercard True Name “you can choose your name on your credit card, your debit card and your prepaid card, which is amazing.”

Mastercard is hoping this initiative will spark conversation within the industry and is urging other businesses to apply these standards, so financial products can reflect their owners’ true identity.

“We’re paying it forward, not because it’s in vogue, but because it’s who we are as an organization,” Tucker says.

Mastercard plans to have True Name cards on the market by early 2020.

Comments

You can do that now

I have a Visa credit card with my (Penny Lane) name, it is simply a 'friend and family' card connected to my own account. This is used for mail order clothes.

I also have a dollar 'Penny Lane' FairFx card connected to the same account as that of my real one and my partner's, originally taken out when we used to go to New York to visit the family. Since they have moved over here, the card(s) are now mainly used for donations to BC and to buy eBooks from Baen Books.

I have had both these cards for a number of years. Nobody has ever asked me to provide anything resembling ID.

Penny

actually that has been around

for years in some areas. Both visa and mastercard. More importantly banking cards. OR you just have the option of first initial which by passed the whole problem

I think their policies need adjusting

There is another side to this issue.

As a retailer, my failure to check ID and question if it does not match results in me having to eat charges if from a stolen card. It is part of my card processing agreement. If it happens enough, I lose my right to process cards.

Yes, a signature match should be enough; however, most of the cards I see have not been signed (~98%). This requires me to check government-issued photo ID.

Also, I know of one retailer near a popular beach town that had so many reports of fraudulent charges, the card processing company required on camera ID check of all purchases even gasoline at their convenient store. It appeared vacationers were stretching their vacation budget by contesting all charges at their destination.

signing

Most signatures get worn away in about a week of use. Having them on back of plastic is not the best idea.

A piece of tape...

A piece of clear tape over the signature prevents it being worn away.

I have been doing this for years.
Carla

"May you live in Interesting Times" is a promise, not a threat!

Not a very nice thing to say Maddy.........

D. Eden's picture

Especially from someone who lives in a part of the world that would be speaking German if it weren’t for the United States.

During my time in the service, I was lucky enough to have seen a lot of the world. I met a lot of very nice people - but I also met quite a few who without even knowing me immediately began treating me poorly simply because I was wearing the uniform of the United States Navy.

Yes, there is some basis to the myth of the Ugly American - but trust me, we don’t have that market cornered, and perhaps the residents of some of those European countries should think long and hard on where they would be without the contributions of those of us on the other side of the Atlantic.

D. Eden

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus

Credit, debit, cards and alternate name

BarbieLee's picture

Unless I'm mistaken, one can add another name to their credit card, the same way one has a spouse.
Such as one's name is Mary Jane Smith and that is on the credit debit card. A second card is issued to
Bobbie Jo Brown for the same account as a spouse, child, kin, or friend.
All transactions go through the same account which is a number and the name on the card is insignificant except to those who are scanning the card besides the owner.
God am I behind the times? It's been years since I used a card with more than one name but has times changed so much they no longer allow it? Try telling ones bank the payments for book sales is really you when names don't match. Or the checks made out to different companies are "you". Life used to be so much easier when government and IRS didn't want to look over everyone's shoulder counting income and expense. "Well, yes Sir, that name is me, or is it that is I?" "Yes and that name is..., me also." "Yes that company is ours, mine." "And that company is also." ""And that company? Yes Sir..., ours, mine." "No Sir, I do NOT have a business tax number for each company. They are all listed under my social security number."

Have I mentioned life used to be a whole lot simpler? Started our first commercial business with fifty dollars and a state license. I honestly don't believe fifty thousand would start a business today. Everyone in government wants to regulate everyone else business.
Hugs Boys and Girls, this too shall pass in time.
always,
Barb

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

To simpler times

Patricia Marie Allen's picture

I started two different businesses with only administration costs. The first just the filing fee for an S Corp (now known as LLC - Limited Liability Corp.) and the second for the filing of a DBA (Doing Business As) and business licenses. Less then $100 each. Oh yeah, the second, a construction company required a bond and insurance. $600/year. The second year, I did have to take some classes; three @ $20 each.

Hugs
Patricia

Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt

Is It Even Necessary?

With so many women walking around these days (and in television dramas) with traditionally male first names, I would think that store clerks would eventually quit trying to gender their customers.