Mastercard Partners with BMO Harris and Superbia to Bring the True Name™ Feature to their Card Offerings
November 08 2019 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Members of the transgender and non-binary
communities will soon be able to use their true name on the front
of cards
Today, Mastercard announced that BMO Harris and Superbia Credit
Union will be the first issuers to implement the True Name feature
for their card offerings, enabling people to use their true name on
their eligible credit, debit and prepaid cards, without the
requirement of a legal name change.
“We are thrilled to have the very first issuers of the True Name
feature on board, allowing us to propel one of our key values,
unconditional acceptance,” said Cheryl Guerin, EVP Marketing &
Communications at Mastercard. “At Mastercard, we strive to
cultivate a culture of inclusion that extends both internally and
externally. We are continuing to call on the industry to help us
ensure that each and every person’s financial products can reflect
their true identity.”
Announced during World Pride 2019, the True Name initiative was
developed in response to a need for credit, debit and prepaid cards
that reflect the true identities of many in the transgender and
non-binary communities who are misrepresented when shopping and
going about daily life. For these communities in particular, the
card in their pocket can serve as a source of sensitivity rather
than an affirmation of who they are. BMO Harris will implement the
True Name feature for personal ATM and debit cards in December of
this year while Superbia Credit Union will enable the True Name
feature across their Mastercard portfolios in 2020.
“Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people are
consistently placed at greater risk of discrimination, harassment,
and overall denial of everyday services when their identification
does not match their true identity,” said Scott Turner Schofield
with the GLAAD Media Institute. “The implementation of Mastercard’s
True Name feature is a crucial step forward in helping to reduce
these risks by allowing trans, non-binary, and gender
non-conforming people to have financial products that accurately
reflect who they are. This new feature is a strong example of how
companies can respond positively to customer feedback and ensure
that their policies and products reflect a commitment to diversity,
inclusion, and acceptance.”
Research found that 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 introduction of the True Name
feature will help ease this major pain point for the transgender
and non-binary communities, enabling them to show up as who they
are in their daily life.
BMO Harris
“Breaking down barriers to inclusion requires bold action,” said
Ernie Johannson, group head for North American Personal and U.S.
Business Banking at BMO. “We are bringing True Name to BMO to
embrace our cardholders’ true identities and empower them to make
real financial progress without fear of discrimination.”
Superbia Credit Union
“The sole focus of Superbia Credit Union is to work on behalf of
the LGBTQ community to build and provide access to fair,
non-discriminatory products and services in banking services,”
stated Myles Meyers, Founder of Superbia Credit Union. “This means
working alongside our partner organizations like Mastercard, who
share in our vision, and to bring those solutions directly to
community members. Every product Superbia Credit Union brings to
the community not only solves an issue but also affirms us as
individuals, and as a community, reflecting our values, as we as
LGBTQ determine. As the first, and only credit union by and for the
LGBTQ to serve the national community, Superbia is excited to
partner with Mastercard and implement the True Name feature, which
supports the Superbia mission to remove any risk of intolerance and
discrimination to the LBGTQ community in banking services.”
Mastercard is a longstanding ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and
is committed to progressing acceptance for this community both
internally within its corporate culture and externally within the
regions in which it operates. To sustain this commitment,
Mastercard has worked to achieve the highest rating on the HRC
Corporate Equality Index, maintaining a top rating of 100. The
company also supports its employees through its PRIDE Business
Resource Group, its corporate policies that ensure equality, and
its benefits that align to the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.
For more information on the True Name feature, click here. Those
interested in learning more about and expressing interest in BMO
Harris’s True Name debit card can visit BMOHarris.com/TrueName. For
more information on global inclusion and diversity at Mastercard,
click here.
About Mastercard
Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology
company in the global payments industry. Our global payments
processing network connects consumers, financial institutions,
merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries
and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday
commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a
business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more
efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join
the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for
the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.
About BMO Harris Bank
BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking
products and solutions through more than 500 branches and fee-free
access to over 40,000 ATMs across the United States. BMO Harris
Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector
expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the
United States. For more information about BMO Harris Bank, visit
the company fact sheet. Accounts are subject to approval. BMO
Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO
Financial Group, a highly diversified financial services provider
with total assets of CDN$839 billion, as of (July 31, 2019), and
more than 45,000 employees.
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Mastercard Communications
Contact: Sarah Ely sarah.ely@mastercard.com
914.249.6714
BMO Harris Communications
Contact: Kathleen Szot kathleen.szot@bmo.com
312.881.0388
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