In 2019, Mastercard announced its True Name initiative to allow members of the LGBTQ community, especially transgender and non-binary people, to use their preferred first name on their credit, debit and prepaid cards.A little over a year later, Citi became the first bank to offer this option with some of its US credit cards.
If you are a Citi credit card holder and identify yourself as trans or non-binary, you may have the option to add your preferred first name to your card.
The service is only available to existing cardholders, which means that you cannot request to add your real name when opening an account, but you can do so after the account is created.
According to Citi, most of its consumer credit cards with a Mastercard or Visa logo are eligible Cards that are not currently included in the program are:
If you have an eligible card, you can submit a request by calling customer service or logging into your online account. If you wish to do so through your account, visit your profile and click « Use preferred first name » in contact information section
If you have more than one eligible Citi credit card, you will need to call customer service to make your request.Once the process is complete, you should receive a replacement card within four to seven business days
It is important to note, however, that the True Name program does not change your legal name on your credit card account or certain communications from Citi.However, if a merchant asks you to show identification that does not match the name on your card, they can call the number on the back of the card to verify your identity with Citi
More than 14 million Americans identify as transgender, according to data from the Federal Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Members of trans and non-binary communities are frequently discriminated against For example, “naming to death” a trans or non-binary person – by their birth name or by their old name without consent – is often used to reject her true gender identity
In a report by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 32% of survey respondents who showed ID with a name or gender marker that did not match their gender presentation said they were victims of verbal harassment, denied benefits or services, asked to leave a facility, or assaulted
« This new credit card program can have a positive impact on the daily lives of so many Americans, » Jamie Hash, an active member of the Air Force currently stationed in Europe, told Investopedia
“Even though my name and gender have changed for years now,” she adds, “I still remember the anguish and feeling of dysphoria that I felt during the many cases I had to. present a card with a name that does not reflect my truth and my authentic self »
Some states and banks have strict requirements to change legal names, which can make it difficult and expensive for trans and non-binary people to use the name that matches their identity on their credit cards. True Name program accomplishes this without the requirement of a legal name change, notes Mastercard
“For many of my transgender brothers and sisters, this is a critical safety issue, as there has been an epidemic of violence in America primarily targeting black trans women,” Hash says. ‘Cash waiting is just another external barrier that trans people often face, and it is so encouraging to see the True Name initiative rise and fix it. »
Williams Institute « How many adults identify as transgender in the United States? » Accessed October 23, 2020
National Center for Transgender Equality « The Report of the U 2015S Transgender Inquiry », page 9 Accessed October 23, 2020
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World News – UA – Citi Launches New Program for Transgender and Non-binary Cardholders
