In a world where more and more people rarely use cash and swipe debit and credit cards for almost every purchase they make, nothing is more annoying than the little sign posted by a cash register notifying customers of a 50 cent fee for using a debit or credit card. Customers feel that they shouldn’t be punished with greatest expenses for trying to make buy with a card that allows them to track their spending and also avoid the risks of carrying cash. Merchants feel squeezed as the fees charged by banks and credit card companies allowing them to accept plastic as a form of payment as tripled since the year 2000.
The average fee paid by a merchant for a credit purchase is around 2% of the purchase price. Some of the biggest fees for using credit cards are at fast food establishments and convenience stores where there are high volumes of sales for low dollar amounts. The fees, called interchange fees, generated $48 billion in revenue for banks in 2008. Part of the increase in fees comes from greater costs associated with fraud prevention and protection, but most of the fee is purely profit to a financial institution. There are several ideas that would make these fees more manageable.
Standardize Fees Among Credit Card Issuers
Forcing all issuers to charge a standardized set of fees could lead to lower fees across the industry when card issuers stop competing for bank business by offering higher transaction fees. Fees are also higher in states with sales tax, since the fee is based on the amount of the purchase including all taxes.
Allow Businesses to Offer Discounts for Cash Customers
This is allowed in a few areas, but most companies are not allowed to offer discounts for cash customers. The average fee paid by a merchant for a credit purchase is around 2% of the purchase price~The National Small Business Association cites this as the top way to address concerns over interchange fees}.
Fight for Greater Transparency
The National Small Business Association cites this as the top way to address concerns over interchange fees. If consumers knew how much merchants were paying in exchange for offering the ability to use credit and debit cards, they would be more understanding about paying a fee when swiping their card.
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