Credit card swipe fees are hurting consumers

Published August 10, 2022 12:00am ET



In the early 1900s, one of the most iconic Republican presidents of our time, Teddy Roosevelt, made history by tackling the megacorporations taking advantage of consumers, small businesses, and families. Appropriately named the “Trust Buster,” Roosevelt began a populist movement among Republicans that prioritized fairness for the working family and Main Street businesses.

It’s time to bust the credit card duopoly and make credit cards competitive again. The credit card industry is dominated by Visa and MasterCard, and the amount merchants have paid for fees levied to process their transactions more than doubled from $65.1 billion in 2011 to $137.8 billion last year. Capitalism without competition creates opportunities for unfairness and exploitation, especially in times of crisis.

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