The First National Bank of Omaha has decided to cut ties with the National Rifle Association in a national moment of reckoning over gun control.
Citing complaints from customers, the company’s First Bankcard division will no longer issue NRA-branded Visa credit cards touted by the gun-rights group as a special benefit of membership after the current contract between the two parties expires.
“Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA. As a result, First National Bank of Omaha will not renew its contract with the National Rifle Association to issue the NRA Visa Card,” a First National Bank spokesman told HuffPost by email Thursday.
The spokesman did not immediately respond to a follow-up question on when the contract will expire.
Members of the group are still able to purchase NRA-branded prepaid Visa debit cards because those are made available through a separate entity, NetSpend, which is currently “reviewing the relationship” it has with the NRA.
On Wednesday, a Visa spokeswoman stressed that the company strives to make its payment services available to everyone.
“Visa has no contractual or financial relationship with the NRA,” the spokeswoman said. “Visa co-branded cards do not represent an endorsement by Visa of that cause or organization. We strive to make our payment services available to all people in all places, for uses consistent with local, national and international laws.”
The Visa card was part of a number of benefits offered to NRA members, including FedEx shipping discounts and savings on rental cars from Hertz, Avis, Enterprise and other major providers. By partnering with third parties, the NRA is also able to offer discounts on hotels and airfare, prescription drugs, insurance and other products and services. According to an NRA blog post, the credit card offered 5 percent back on gas and purchases made at sporting goods stores.
An NRA webpage that detailed the benefits of the card was pulled midday on Wednesday, leaving an error page in its wake. The NRA did not respond to HuffPost’s multiple requests for comment.
The gun-rights group, which operates a powerful lobbying arm, has been a particular target of outrage by many young activists after last week’s shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, left 17 dead.