BMO Harris Bank offers True Name credit cards for trans customers
Small gestures can go a long way. Something as simple as calling someone by their preferred name can have a positive impact on that person.
Through a partnership with Mastercard, BMO Harris Bank is allowing customers to have their preferred name on their credit card or small business credit and debit cards.
The initiative, True Name, was first rolled out in December, allowing customers to add the name they wish to be called on their personal debit card. The program has since expanded.
Sang Kim, regional president for BMO Harris, said the initiative is meant to “help alleviate this negative experience and misrepresentation.”
“It truly enabled people to use their true preferred first name on their debit card without requiring a name change,” Kim said. “On June 8, this was expanded and it is now available to BMO customers for the consumer credit cards and also small business debit and credit cards.”
Sang said BMO Harris was influenced by research done by the National Center for Transgender Equality which found that people who have cards that have a different name from the gender they identify with experience a higher level of harassment and discrimination.
“This really was designed to help alleviate discrimination and misrepresentation for the transgendered community,” Kim said. “This was something that all of us at BMO rallied behind to create an offering with inclusion in mind.”
BMO Harris has uploaded a video featuring an Appleton area customer, Krys, who took advantage of the True Name card saying, “There is fear presenting my current card because some people think it’s a false card.”
“Having the true name on my card is going to make my life a lot easier,” Krys said.
Sang said current customers can go into a branch and add the new name because their personal information is already in the system. New customers would have to bring the proper documents and identification, just like other customers, to start an account but can add the name they want.
“The same security procedure is in place for True Name, just as it is for any other product,” Kim said. “Once you come into our branches, the information that we have is on file for us to know. It minimizes the impact of risk in the beginning.”
Customers can use their personal PIN numbers as added security for their identities.
Sang said BMO has not received any negative feedback about the program.
“So far we have no reports that demonstrate any negative feedback at this time,” Kim said. “We’re very happy with all of the reaction we’ve gotten so far.”
Kim said the company believes similar initiatives will become more prevalent in banking and other business as customers become more accustomed to these changes.
“We thought this was a very important product for our customers to be available,” Kim said.