About 1,000 independent grocers joined in a letter urging Congress to support the Credit Card Reform Act of 2022, legislation that would inject much-needed competition into the market for credit card routing.
The legislation is sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall and allows merchants to choose between two unaffiliated networks to process credit card transactions.
“The letter represents a resounding call from the independent supermarket industry that credit card reforms are long past due. For many of our members, the fees associated with accepting credit cards is one of the highest costs of doing business,” said Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of National Grocers Association.
“In addition to the direct impact these ‘swipe fees’ have on independent grocers’ operations, they also drive up the costs of food and other goods at a time when Americans are already reeling from a level of inflation not seen in a generation.”
The companies said in the letter, “The Credit Card Competition Act would bring much-needed relief to retailers and American consumers by simply requiring that Visa and Mastercard compete with other networks for both merchant and bank business.”
The letter was signed by nearly 1,000 NGA members and was sent to all members of the House and Senate by the Merchants Payments Coalition, of which NGA is a founding member. It asks lawmakers to cosponsor S. 4674, the Credit Card Competition Act, to help improve the likelihood the bill will be considered by Congress and signed into law.
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes.
For more information about NGA, visit nationalgrocers.org.
