We express our strong objection to any interchange legislation that would force us and millions of other consumers to pay for the cost of merchants accepting debit and credit cards.

This harmful legislation would shift a merchant’s cost of doing business – what they pay when they accept cards – to us, their customers. It’s not fair for Congress to ask consumers to pay for this merchant cost. We are already struggling to pay our own bills in this time of economic hardship; we shouldn’t be asked to pay merchant bills, too.

Merchants who accept cards receive more sales, higher profits, and guaranteed payment. It makes sense that they pay for those benefits. It doesn’t make sense for us, their customers, to be forced to pay instead. Yet, this is exactly what will happen if interchange legislation is passed by Congress.

We urge our Members of Congress not to be fooled by the tricks of giant retailers, and to oppose this harmful legislation.