Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act

This bill prohibits payment card networks from assigning specialized merchant codes that identify firearms retailers separately from general merchandise or sporting goods stores. These codes, if allowed, would enable financial institutions to flag or monitor gun purchase transactions. The Department of Justice would be required to enforce the law and report annually to Congress on related investigations.

Firearm buyers who use credit or debit cards, gun store owners, and payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard. It removes a mechanism banks and card networks could use to monitor gun purchases at the transaction level.

Payment card networks would be barred from tagging gun purchases with codes that distinguish them from other retail purchases. The DOJ would investigate and report on violations annually.