Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/06/29/bank-card-makes-it-easier-for.html
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This is a good thing, but the way they keep putting True Name™ seems like they want to be able to use it to Summon™ and Bind™ you.
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Well it is BOA.
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This is great, but I have a rather cynical take on this.
The bank is not offering actual names on cards because it’s the right thing to do. When people whose appearance and card-name don’t seem to match are denied or bullied out of a service by a vendor, the bank makes less money. Letting people put their preferred names on the card is the right thing to do, but, for the bank, it’s just a happy coincidence (and a boon when it comes to marketing and PR).
If there weren’t awful vendors who didn’t hate some of their would-be customers, the bank wouldn’t have quite the incentive to offer this feature. In a sense, they’re capitalizing transphobia.
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Yeah, Amex has always (AFAIK) let you specify how your name appears on the card, because you are their actual customer, and of course lots of people will want this. Mastercard’s customers are banks, and they’re only interested in what is easiest for their admin processes.
It is more than irritating to me that we let businesses do something wrong for years, and only fix it when they can pretend it’s driven by some topical concern. If we reward that it’s just teaching them that their ongoing crappy behavior is an investment in future PR.
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In the end, does it make it better for people?
You should never forget that companies are only out for their own self-interest and have no honor, soul, or loyalty- even the one that you work for. You should have no illusions that they are not always working in their own best interest.
But no sense beating up a corporation when they do something that aligns with your self interest. They will get plenty of blowback on this from people who think it helps LGBT+ people too much and get mad because of that.
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The actions that a corporation chooses to take are at least an indicator of the direction of prevailing trends in the wider society.
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“The 10th Victim” will bring us all back together.
Technically, credit card/bank cards don’t do name verification. They mainly do address verification. Thus, you could have your name in any way you want when you fill out the bank card/credit card application.
To me this is typical advertising BS from banks.
It involves autonomy, which was sadly lacking in the previous sexual revolution. My body, my rules.
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Now we just wait for the videos of right-wingers trying to flush their credit cards down the toilet.
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In the end, does it make it better for people?
Yes: It’s better that people can get cards with their actual name.
and
No: Having the right name on the card simply reduces the opportunity for those vendors to know when they’re faced with a customer they don’t like. It doesn’t address the problem of bias and hatred. By reducing visible expressions of that bias, it allows the problem to fester a little deeper in the shadows.
For a very, very long time, all I list on my credit cards are my initials. Never had a problem. Plus, if I do have to show state-issued ID, the initials on the credit card do match those on my ID.
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Now that they are handcrafting their “ain’t using no devil mask” cards, it wouldn’t surprise me. Q-card the self made card for self made people.
I’m wondering what happens when some a-hole cashier says “Hmm… You don’t look like a “Lorraine”. Can I see some ID please?”. I’m fairly ignorant of the situation, so this is a genuine question: Can people already get state issued ID that doesn’t match their birth certificates? I can’t imagine a lot of states being that progressive.
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so if I post all my true stuff again no one will phuck wit me?
Changing legal name is actually not that hard. Married people do it all the time. Basically you start using it on your utilities, then after a few months you can change your drivers license, and a year later you can change your social security card.
What would be really nice for non-binaries and people actively transitioning would be if they allowed for multiple cards and ids; to suit the identity of the day. Keep one in the wallet; keep one in the purse, as it were…
Not in Texas and not for social security. A person who gets married may change only the last name, have a limited time in which to do it , must place the name change on the marriage certificate, and must produce a copy of a marriage license.
Getting a name change otherwise is expensive and time consuming. Requires a court order, which was $300 a few years back when I did it. Plus cost for the court certified copies you’ll need for other places. You also have to pay the fee for fingerprint based criminal history, to attach to the court order.
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Most credit card issuers are more than happy to let you list any name on your card, as well as issue you multiple cards (which you’re responsible for paying, of course) for other family members. That means you can ask for a card with any name on it.
The difficulty comes when you’re asked for ID, and it differs substantially from the name on your card, the merchant may decline to accept the card.
In addition, receipts often print with the name that the card was originally issued to, which may or may not be the name listed on this card; it would be nice to learn that before signing up, since that has the potential to blow your cover.
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