Paying for Paying with Plastic

We All Pay for the Privilege of Paying With Plastic

The Government Accountability Office has been ordered to study the use of credit by consumers, and in particular the effect interchange fees have on consumers and merchants.

Many people may not be aware of these fees, but for lenders, merchants and consumer advocates, the fees are the next controversial credit-related issue Congress may take up.

An interchange fee is paid by a merchant's bank to a customer's bank or credit union when the business accepts purchases by credit or debit cards. Typically the fees are 1 to 2 percent of the total cost of a purchase. For example, if a consumer buys $100 of merchandise or services, the interchange fee paid by the merchant could be $2.

This may not seem like a lot of money, but multiply that by the millions of people making electronic purchases and it's not chump change. Moreover, everybody pays, whether you use plastic or not, according to consumer advocates and retailers. The interchange fees result in higher prices for everyone, including those paying with cash.

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act that President Obama recently signed into law includes a provision to investigate the fees that businesses pay to allow their customers to use credit. The idea is to provide more transparency to consumers.

Demanding that credit card companies give more information about interchange fees would put them on par with food producers who are required to provide nutritional information on packaging. The nutritional details are meant to help people make healthier choices. And yet Americans are fatter than ever.

The same can be said about our appetite for credit.

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