Santa’s (Payments) Naughty List – Are You on It?

You better watch out! You better not cry! You better… oh, you know the song. :-)

Santa Claus is coming to town, and he has a lump of coal for those below on his naughty list year:

1) Merchants: A new report indicates retailers are not passing onto consumers swipe fee savings stemming from the new debit card regulations. Guess merchants don’t know ’tis better to give than to receive, especially at this time of year. (Related: Where’s the Debit Discount? Durbin Price Controls Fail to Ring Up Savings for Consumers)

2) Google Wallet: Surprised? We were too when a new study came out last week that brought to light the significant amount of unencrypted data Google Wallet stores on the device. Shame, because up until that point, they were at the top of the nice list for the great job they were doing getting merchants on board during their early mPayment trials. (Read More: Summary of Google Wallet Security Findings)

3) Republican Lawmakers: They blocked a vote earlier this month on former Ohio AG Richard Cordray, President Obama’s nominee to lead the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. C’mon GOP, don’t you know a filibuster isn’t in the holiday spirit?

4) Big Banks: Many may have relented on tacking on debit usage fees (BoA, Wells Fargo, etc.), but some FIs are still quietly adding other new charges in an attempt to recoup revenue due the new debit interchange caps. When so many consumers are strapped for cash in these tough economic times, these major banks are a real Scrooge.

5) Checks: You take so long to process at the point of sale; quite a nuisance during the holiday shopping rush.

6) Groupon: Got into a bit of trouble when Andrew Mason’s internal-but-leaked-to-the-public-memo touting Groupon’s success was made public during what was supposed to be their quiet period. Then, there was their repeatedly readjusted IPO estimate. While the company still came out of the trading gate strong anyway, Santa sees and remembers all. (Analysis: Groupon’s Business Model: Bubble or the Real Deal?)

Others are still teetering on the edge between the nice and naughty lists: the Fed and Durbin (both loved by merchants but loathed by just about everyone else), Verizon (will they or won’t they bar Google Wallet) and the CFPB (too early to tell).

Who do you think should be on Santa’s (payments) naughty list? Share your thoughts below: