Credit Union Daily: Decisions By OCC, NCUA Will Allow FIs to ‘Price Fix’ Wide Range of Fees, Says Merchants Group
Financial institutions will now be allowed to “price-fix a wide range of fees” charged to consumers and small businesses under a pair of rules issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and NCUA, according to the Merchants Payments Coalition.
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Center Square: New Federal Swipe Fee Rules Take Effect
After new federal rules took effect this week to prevent Illinois and other states from banning fees on the tax and tip portions of credit and debit card payments, the Merchants Payment Coalition said bank and credit union fees could soar for consumers and businesses. Doug Kantor of the MPC executive committee said in a statement that the rules set a dangerous precedent that endorses unfair price collusion.
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Harrisburg Patriot News: Visa, Mastercard settlement might impact rewards credit cards
Advocates such as those in the Merchant Payments Coalition, however, remain doubtful the settlement will bring about positive change for businesses. “The vast majority of merchants oppose this proposed settlement,” MPC Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores General Counsel Doug Kantor said via release. “We expect many more objections to be filed that will present the court with clear evidence of the profound problems with this settlement that would make the already broken credit card market even worse. We are hopeful that the judge will refuse to grant final approval, and that merchants will have their day in court.”
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Raleigh News and Observer: Credit card surcharges seem to be everywhere in NC. Who’s paying for them?
Fees aren’t just affecting North Carolinians. The Nilson Report found that in 2025, charges for credit cards totaled nearly $158 billion, according to the Merchants Payments Coalition. Nearly $119 billion were swipe fees for Visa and Mastercard, which control more than 80% of the market and set rates for banks issuing their cards.
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BGOV Power Play: Merchants' Message
The Merchants Payments Coalition and two dozen other retailer lobbying groups sent a letter to House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-Ark.) and top Democrat Maxine Waters (Calif.) ahead of today’s hearing on the future of payments. The coalition, which has long lobbied in support of legislation to limit credit card swipe fees, made a pitch for its favorite bill — and against credit card companies. “Some have suggested that cryptocurrency businesses are large enough that Visa, Mastercard and major banks won’t be able to stifle competition from them. That is wishful thinking that ignores the evidence,” wrote the groups, including the National Restaurant Association and the National Association of Convenience Stores.
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MiBolsillo: Americans Pay $158,000 Million in Card Service Fees Alone
According to the latest financial data published by the Nilson Report and amplified by the Merchants Payments Coalition, the sheer scale of this extraction is staggering, with credit card process fees soaring to nearly $158 billion during the 2025 fiscal year, prompting urgent scrutiny of industry giants like Visa and Mastercard.
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Restaurant Business: When times are tough, little things matter
Last year, according to the Merchants Payments Coalition, those fees averaged 2.36% of the transaction amount, up from 2.02% in 2010. While that might not sound like much, it simply adds to the nickeling and diming of the industry.
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The Queen Zone: 12 key insights on payment methods and credit card fees
Retailer groups have pushed this issue hard because the dollar amounts are huge. The Merchants Payments Coalition said credit and debit card swipe fees reached $187.2 billion in 2024, up from $172 billion in 2023.
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Restaurant Business: Where to from here on the swipe fee battle?
In this week’s Working Lunch, Joe Kefauver and Franklin Coley of Align Public Strategies speak with Dan Swanson, counsel to the Merchants Payment Coalition, about the recent court decision and state-level veto in the long-running feud with banks and credit card companies about swipe fees. Swanson will explain what happened and why, and where the restaurant industry can go from here.
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Decatur (Ill.) Radio: Merchants Poll: Americans Want Swipe Fees Reduced
A new poll from the Merchants Payment Coalition finds strong voter support for congressional action on credit and debit card swipe fees. The survey says 75% of likely voters want lawmakers to reduce electronic processing fees charged on card transactions. The results arrive as state-level efforts face setbacks. A federal judge recently blocked Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which would bar processing fees on the tax and tip portions of purchases.
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