Hotel Owners Call Credit Card Swipe Fees ‘Worse Than What OPEC Does’
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association, a leading member of the Merchants Payments Coalition, is calling on Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act to bring down credit card “swipe” fees that drive up consumer prices.
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American Banker: Why Mastercard's U.K. settlement won't translate elsewhere
Visa and Mastercard expressed disappointment with the rejection of the U.S. settlement at the time, Members of the National Grocers Association and the Merchant Payments Coalition said the settlement would provide only temporary relief from fees. "Visa and Mastercard have been trying to resolve the issue through settlements, but they keep getting thrown out by the courts, with the U.K. case being a notable exception," Aaron McPherson, principal at AFM Consulting, told American Banker, noting the U.K. settlement was well below the plaintiffs' claim.
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Digital Transactions: Observers And Lawmakers Handicap the CCCA’s Chances As It Heads Back to Congres
“The Senate Judiciary Committee [hearing in November] showed there was a lot of support across the aisle, and even skeptics indicated it would pass. It is just a question of when,” says Doug Kantor, an executive committee member for the Merchants Payments Coalition and general counsel for the National Association of Convenience Stores. “From our perspective, there is a lot of support across the aisle.”
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Payments Dive: Durbin to reintroduce credit card competition bill
“The hearing in the Senate Judiciary committee last year gave a lot of momentum to the Credit Card Competition Act” legislation, Doug Kantor, general counsel for the National Association of Convenience stores, said in an interview Tuesday. That hearing “showed that there is very broad bipartisan support” for the bill. “Even skeptics believe it will pass, and it’s just a matter of time,” added Kantor, who is also a member of the executive committee of the Merchants Payments Coalition.
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MPC Hill Blast: Record Debt, Record Fees
Americans’ credit card debt has hit a new record: $1.21 Trillion! And, that’s at a time when the average credit card interest rate is 24.21%. So, if credit card debt and interest stayed at those levels this year, the Wall Street banks and other issuers of credit cards would be in line to make . . . $292.941 billion in interest this year.
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Yemeni American Merchants Say Some Small Businesses ‘Will Not Make It’ Under High Credit Card Swipe Fees
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WDKY-TV: Record Valentine’s Day spending expected in Kentucky
This year, the average shopper is expected to spend $189 on Valentine’s Day gifts. On top of that, the Merchant Payments Coalition warns consumers should be aware of rising swipe fees on credit and debit cards. Credit card companies are expected to charge shoppers over $600 million in hidden costs.
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Retail Insight Network: Record Valentine’s Day sales to come with added costs
The Merchant Payments Coalition estimates that card processing fees—often referred to as “swipe” fees—could contribute over $600m to consumers’ total expenditure this month.
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The U.S. Sun: LOVE TAX Shoppers warned over ‘harmful’ hidden fees ahead of Valentine’s Day as expert urges buyers to watch how you ‘swipe’
The sneaky “swipe” fees that banks charge retailers to process credit and debit card transactions could tack on over $600 million to shoppers’ receipts this February, according to estimates from the Merchant Payments Coalition.
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Center Square: Washington, Maryland lawmakers propose banning credit card swipe fees on sales taxes
“The credit card industry price-fixing swipe fees is bad enough, but taking a slice out of tax dollars before retailers can hand them over to the state of Maryland is unconscionable,” MPC Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores General Counsel Doug Kantor said in a statement. “Retailers have to make up the difference, and that ultimately drives up prices for consumers. It is time for this abuse to end. Marylanders’ tax dollars should not be siphoned off to Wall Street this way and we appreciate legislators looking to solve this unjust problem.”
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