Kentucky bank adds True Name for transgender, nonbinary customers

Republic Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, has become the U.S.’s first community bank to roll out Mastercard’s True Name feature for transgender and nonbinary customers.

The 42-branch institution now allows customers who use a chosen first name other than their legal name to display the preferred name on debit cards for personal and business accounts, Republic said in a Tuesday press release.

Republic has $6.5 billion of assets and operates branches in four states outside of Kentucky: Indiana, Florida, Tennessee and Ohio.

The move, timed to kick off Pride Month, comes 18 months after Mastercard debuted the service.

“Our commitment for True Name is to reach a point where every card, everywhere is enabled with the feature as we believe in empowering people to show up as they are,” said Cheryl Guerin, Mastercard’s executive vice president for marketing and communications, said in a press release.

BMO Harris Bank in Chicago was the first large bank to sign on to True Name. Superbia Credit Union in New York, which focuses on the LGBTQ community and received a new charter in 2019, has also announced plans to offer True Name payment cards.

When Citi made True Name available for certain credit cards in 2020, more than 1,000 customers signed up within the first couple of weeks.

Bunq, a Dutch challenger bank serving 30 European nations, last month said all existing credit and debit card customers can opt for a True Name version of their cards.

Republic Bank customers may use the bank’s online portal to request a True Name card, which will arrive within two to four days, the bank said in the release. To get a True Name business debit card, customers must call a toll-free number.

Using initials or a single letter are acceptable on True Name cards, the bank explains in a roundup of frequently asked questions. If merchants challenge customers’ identity, they can call the bank’s customer service number for verification, the bank says on its website.

“Enabling this feature builds on our inclusion and diversity efforts within each of the communities where we do business,” Steve Trager, Republic Bank’s chairman and CEO, said in the release.