Digital Transactions: Will Cap One’s Deal for Discover Create ‘True’ Network Competition? Depends on Whom You Ask
Without passage of the CCCA, Capital One’s ownership of Discover’s credit card network and the Pulse debit network does not create true network choice because Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. require financial institutions issuing cards on their networks to route transactions over those networks, says Doug Kantor, MPC’s Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores General Counsel. That rule would apply to Visa and Mastercard branded cards issued by Capital One.
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American Prospect: Capital One–Discover Merger Tests Bank Regulators’ Merger Approach
“Visa and Mastercard lock banks that issue credit cards into a centrally set scheme of fees and prohibit them from allowing competitors on their cards,” said Doug Kantor of the Merchants Payments Coalition, a group of smaller retailers, in a statement. “No merger can change that bar to competition—only legislation can.”
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American Banker: Will the Capital One-Discover deal stall Durbin's interchange bill?
Doug Kantor, general counsel at the National Association of Convenience Stores and member of the executive committee of the Merchants Payments Coalition, said that the deal shouldn't impact the bill's chances on Capitol Hill. "It probably doesn't mean anything for legislation, because there's no competition among networks on the merchants' side right now, and this won't change it," he said. "It doesn't really change the landscape in terms of the fact that these major networks, Visa-Mastercard, control the networks and tell the banks how much to charge. So the legislation is every bit as needed as before."
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Merchants Say Capital One/Discover Deal Shows Need for Credit Card Competition Act
MPC says Capital One’s plans to acquire Discover won’t lead to badly needed competition over credit card “swipe” fees unless the Credit Card Competition Act becomes law.
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Reuters: Capital One's $35 billion Discover deal hinges on playing consumer champion
Lawmakers such as Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat who represents Illinois where Discover is based, have criticized , opens new tab Visa and Mastercard for a hold on the market. "The credit card market is so devoid of competition ... that almost any change is probably an improvement," said Doug Kantor, (MPC Executive Committee member and) general counsel of the National Association of Convenience Stores.
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USA Today: Discover's merger with Capital One may mean luxe lounges, better service, plus more perks
Capital One’s foray into payments processing probably won’t help merchants or customers save on credit card fees, said Doug Kantor, (MPC Executive Committee member and) general counsel at the National Association of Convenience Stores trade group, which supports the bipartisan bill to increase competition in the payments processing industry. “Discover has a very tiny percentage of the network, and that’ll be true after the acquisition,” Kantor said. "It’s a chink in the armor.” If Capital One shifts all its credit cards to the Discover network, Kantor said that could be “significant.” But that's not happening. Capital One said in its release that debit card purchases will be processed on the Discover network but only "selected" credit card transactions. “There’s a reason for that,” Kantor said. “The gravy train is too good.” Visa and Mastercard reaped $93 billion in transaction fees in 2022 from merchants, and Capital One’s likely positioning itself to grab some of that, Kantor said. If the bipartisan bill passes, Capital One could serve as the second processing option the bill would require.
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MarketWatch: Capital One-Discover deal could lead to higher APRs, but better rewards, experts say
Doug Kantor, an executive committee member at the Merchant Payment Coalition, thinks the Capital One-Discover deal would have a minimal impact on the current swipe fee landscape. Instead, he sees the acquisition as a way for Capital One to prepare for new credit-card regulation taking shape in Congress that targets those interchange charges. “It seems more geared toward Capital One getting ready for the Credit Card Competition Act,” he said, referring to the legislation proposed by Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, last summer.
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NACS Daily: Sens. Hawley and Reed Co-Sponsor the Credit Card Competition Act
The bill has support from a wide range of small businesses and consumer groups, including the Merchants Payments Coalition. The MPC welcomed the announcement that senators Hawley and Jack Reed have become cosponsors of the Credit Card Competition Act. “This shows that support is growing across the country and across the political spectrum for action that would bring competition to credit card swipe fees,” MPC Executive Committee member and National Grocers Association Chief Government Relations Officer and Counsel Chris Jones said. “We thank Senators Hawley and Reed for supporting Main Street businesses and their customers and look forward to working with them to bring fairness to the credit card market.”
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Digital Transactions: If Top Card Execs Must Testify, So Should Merchant Leaders, CCCA Opponents Argue
“This is an opportunity for the card networks to get their defense of why the profits they will continue to earn from swipe fees won’t be enough to continue funding credit card rewards if the CCCA passes,” says Stephanie Martz, an executive committee member for the Merchants Payments Council and chief administrative officer and general counsel for the National Retail Federation. “Claims the CCCA will take away rewards programs are false.”
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Merchants Thank Senators Hawley and Reed For Supporting Small Business and Consumers on Credit Card ‘Swipe’ Fees
MPC welcomed the announcement that Senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., have become cosponsors of the Credit Card Competition Act, saying it "shows that support is growing across the country and across the political spectrum for action that would bring competition to credit card swipe fees."
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