Credit Card Fees news and trends

Australia Imposes Ban on Debit and Credit Card Surcharges

March 31, 2026
Reserve Bank of Australia
SMBs Stand to Gain From Visa and Mastercard ‘Swipe Fees’ Settlement
Credit Cards // November 10, 2025

Visa and Mastercard have announced an updated settlement in a 20-year legal battle with merchants. The agreement, which still requires approval from the Eastern District Court of New York, was announced by the two payments companies Monday (Nov. 10).  If approved, the settlement would mark...

Chase Debuts Sapphire Card With $795 Annual Fee
Credit Cards // June 18, 2025

Chase has introduced substantial changes to its Chase Sapphire Reserve card, its premium travel card. Due to go into effect June 23, the updated card offers users $2,700 in yearly benefits, including all existing perks plus new ones related to how customers collect and spend...

Report: European Commission Looking Into Visa and Mastercard Fees
Legal & Regulation // May 23, 2025

The European Commission is reportedly looking into fees charged by Visa and Mastercard in a move that could lead to a formal probe. The competition regulator sent requests for information to market participants last week, asking about fees they impose on financial institutions that provide...

ABA Urges Fed to Withdraw Proposed Debit Interchange Fee Cap
Bank Regulation // December 16, 2024

The American Bankers Association (ABA) said the proposed amendments to Regulation II that would cap debit card interchange fees are “fundamentally flawed and should not be finalized.” In a Thursday (Dec. 12) letter addressed to Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome H. Powell, ABA Senior Vice...

Interviews & Exclusives
CFPB Targets Medical Debt — That Could Increase the Cost of Healthcare

June 24, 2024
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) rules that seek to remove medical debt from credit reports and cap card late fees are proving wildly popular with the general public. But there may be unintended consequences — upending the ways in which providers and patients interact and upending credit access in general. The rules have yet […]

UK Regulator Opens the Door for Credit Card Data Reporting Mandates

May 21, 2024
Higher fees from the payments networks across the pond have not translated into better service, according to a new report. The U.K.’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) issued a 158-page report...

Instant Payments Promise Better Consumer Experiences and Merchant Efficiencies

February 24, 2023
There’s a not-far-off future where plastic credit and debit cards will be less popular with rising consumer groups drawn to instant payments, and that’s OK with merchants, who will save...

Merchants Seek Bottom-Line Benefits From Credit Card Surcharges

May 12, 2022
Legal obstacles to surcharges on credit card transactions have been dropping for much of the past decade as courts continue to rule that the surcharges are permissible. This is good...

Quick Reads
Australia Imposes Ban on Debit and Credit Card Surcharges

March 31, 2026
Australia’s central bank will prohibit surcharges on debit and credit cards starting in October. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced its plans Tuesday (March 31), along with its intention to lower the cap on credit card interchange fees merchants pay to banks. “The surcharging framework, introduced more than two decades ago, is no longer […]

SMBs Stand to Gain From Visa and Mastercard ‘Swipe Fees’ Settlement

November 10, 2025
Visa and Mastercard have announced an updated settlement in a 20-year legal battle with merchants. The agreement, which still requires approval from the Eastern District Court of New York, was...

Chase Debuts Sapphire Card With $795 Annual Fee

June 18, 2025
Chase has introduced substantial changes to its Chase Sapphire Reserve card, its premium travel card. Due to go into effect June 23, the updated card offers users $2,700 in yearly...

Report: European Commission Looking Into Visa and Mastercard Fees

May 23, 2025
The European Commission is reportedly looking into fees charged by Visa and Mastercard in a move that could lead to a formal probe. The competition regulator sent requests for information...