Story perspectives

NRF Pushes Swipe-Fee Cap as Costs Surge $1,200 per Household

6/1/2026

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Summary

Story summary

National Retail Federation is lobbying to curb swipe fees that add $1,200 per household annually.
Merchant payments to Visa, Mastercard and other processors rose 70% since 2019, reaching $198 billion in 2025.
Harvard researchers estimate the fees shift $30 billion from cash and debit users to rewards-credit-card holders, like a 16% sales-tax increase for cash payers.
The Electronic Payments Coalition disputes that analysis, saying it overlooks cash-handling costs and credit-card fraud-protection benefits.

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Story summary

National Retail Federation is lobbying to curb swipe fees that add $1,200 per household annually.
Merchant payments to Visa, Mastercard and other processors rose 70% since 2019, reaching $198 billion in 2025.
Harvard researchers estimate the fees shift $30 billion from cash and debit users to rewards-credit-card holders, like a 16% sales-tax increase for cash payers.
The Electronic Payments Coalition disputes that analysis, saying it overlooks cash-handling costs and credit-card fraud-protection benefits.