Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Is this proposed legislation good?


Look for some merchants to try to slip such a surcharge into their transactions. Is this a problem we should be addressing or at least discussing?
SPRINGFIELD - With the 98th General Assembly about to swing into full gear, State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) is looking towards consumer protection with her first ever piece of legislation aimed at credit card user fees.
“There are certainly signs that the economy is moving again; however, families are still weary of fee increases,” Wheeler stated.  “Even small savings can go a long way, and now is not the time to begin burdening families with increased fees, regardless of their size.”
The measure, HB 977, seeks to make it unlawful for merchants to impose a surcharge on a consumer who elects to pay with a credit card.  In July, an antitrust settlement between the major credit companies, Visa and MasterCard, and merchants will now allow retailers to charge a higher price for consumers who choose the “credit” option as opposed to the “debit” option when making purchases beginning on January 27 of this year.  Prior to the settlement, merchants were only allowed to offer discounts to non-credit card purchases, not to charge a higher price to those paying with credit.

This bill marks the first piece of legislation introduced by Rep. Wheeler and is already receiving
support from many of her constituents.
Area business owner Pete Kalantzis, owner of Marzano’s Wood Fired Italian Restaurant in McHenry, has already vowed not to charge customers.  “Me personally, I will not charge my customers,” Kalantzis stated.  “Credit cards are a part of our cost of doing business.  We are providing a service and we shouldn’t be penalizing our customers for using credit cards.”
“This is exactly why Rep. Wheeler will be an asset to the people of McHenry County,” said Ed Donahue of the Law Office of Donahue and Walsh.  “This is a common sense approach to an issue that affects everyone.  I am the owner of a small business and credit card surcharges have always been a cost of doing business.  I am also a consumer and this is a bill that protects the consumer.”

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous1/29/2013

    Well, the problem is the banks; the banks are charging/imposing these transaction fees (plus account maintenance fees) on the merchant. In many states, the merchants are not allowed to pass that charge onto the consumer.

    When you create a merchant account to process credit cards, you will get hit with a sign-up fee, monthly fee, and a certain percentage of each transaction.

    Frankly, I say let's do TARP II and see where the economy goes. Perhaps they will let up on the merchants and consumers?

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  2. Anonymous1/30/2013

    some stores will try to add this on

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  3. Anonymous1/30/2013

    In the end any cost regarding transactions in business are a cost of doing business. The purpose of business is to make a profit above and beyond the total cost to provide said product/service So, ultimately you will probably not SEE a charge for use of your debit/credit card. The business will simply raise their prices to cover these costs - and the fee will be passed on to all of us.

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  4. The banks are always the problem. I feel like Clyde Barrow.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous1/30/2013

      Me too. But it is pretty astonishing how they are the source of so many problems, especially economic.


      Anonymous 30 January, 2013: the banks have already added this on. The merchants are trying to pass the cost onto the consumer.

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  5. Anonymous2/01/2013

    19th ward hero and heir apparent Tom Dart really messed up. He was out in Michigan digging up maybe Gacy graves when they let that excon walk out of the jail. He is such a bozo.

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  6. Anonymous2/02/2013

    dart would do anything or say anything on order to ingratiate himself with the people behind the curtain

    ReplyDelete