Mastercard Launches Initiative to Stop Deadnaming on Payment Cards

Mastercard has announced that they are making a step towards positive change — allowing trans and non-binary folks to use their name of choice on their cards.

The True Name card initiative is set to combat the difficulties faced when people from the LGBTQ community present a card with a name that doesn’t appear to match their outward gender presentation.

“Overall, nearly one-third (32%) of individuals who have shown IDs with a name or gender that did not match their presentation reported negative experiences, such as being harassed, denied services, and/or attacked,” the company said in a statement.

While some are able to overcome this issue by getting a legal name change, that’s not possible for everyone for a variety of reasons, and Mastercard is looking to make the purchasing experience more comfortable and safe for those customers.

“We are allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, which means if we see a need or if this community is not being served in the most inclusive way, we want to be a force for change to help address and alleviate unnecessary pain points,” Mastercard’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Randall Tucker said.

He also told CNBC: “We’re paying it forward, not because it’s in vogue, but because it’s who we are as an organization.”

While the True Name cards aren’t available yet, Mastercard is hoping to roll them out by early next year, and they are calling on others in the industry to step up and apply these standards for everyone.

“Our vision is that every card should be for everyone,” Tucker said.