Mastercard has announced that it will allow trans and non-binary people to use their chosen names on plastic payment cards.

The True Name card will apply to credit, debit and prepaid cards used by trans and non-binary people.

The move is part of the bank’s initiative to support LGBTI rights. It aims to combat issues trans and non-binary individuals have experienced while using payment cards.

Many have spoken about feelings of fear and anxiety when they hand over payment cards which carry their birth or dead names.

Mastercard is not the first to implement changes designed to help trans or non-binary people.

In recent years, a number of businesses in the US have begun making changes to support, or accommodate for, the trans community.

‘The name on their credit, debit or prepaid card does not reflect their true identity’

Mastercard announced the True Name card at the New York City Commission on Human Rights on Monday (17 June).

The bank detailed the move in a statement titled It’s Time to Enable People to Use Their True Name on Cards.

‘We are working with partners to create a product, as well as a sensitive and private process free of personal questions, that will allow for true names, not deadnames, to appear on cards without the requirement of a legal name change,’ the statement says.

‘This will ease a major pain point for the transgender and non-binary community.

‘For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, the name on their credit, debit or prepaid card does not reflect their true identity.’ the statement adds.

‘As a result, for the transgender and non-binary communities in particular, the card in their pocket can serve as a source of sensitivity, misrepresenting their true identity when shopping and going about daily life.’

The move’s announcement was accompanied by a video. The video shows trans and non-binary people discussing the difficulties they experienced while using credit cards with their birth names.

People in the video describe having ‘moments of anxiety and moments of panic’ when handing over their payment cards.

‘It puts me in a place where I feel like I’m in danger,’ one of the participants says.

At the end of the video, the participants are given payment cards which have their chosen names.

Businesses making changes

Numerous businesses have begun making changes or expressing support for the trans community.

In February, a number of airlines announced they would begin offering non-binary ticket options for passengers.

Last November, over 50 of the biggest businesses in the US signed a pledge to stand in solidarity with the trans community.

This follows a number of anti-trans policies which have been implemented or proposed under US President Donald Trump.

Since Trump took office in January 2017, his administration has made various moves to roll-back the rights of trans people.

This includes a ban on trans individuals serving in the US military. There have also been moves to curtail the rights of trans students and trans prisoners.