Stop Sticking It To Us!

Paying cash may benefit consumers under surcharge plan

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:01:50 +0000

Retailers should be allowed to surcharge consumers based on the type of payment used, a study finds, saying it would be fairer to customers who pay with cash.The C. D. Howe Institute also recommends that Canada’s existing debit provider, Interac, be allowed to go for profit so it can compete more effectively with Visa and MasterCard as those two multinational giants enter Canada’s debit market.

Calif. officials probe credit card interchange fees

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:16:03 +0000

“California consumers and businesses are being taken to the cleaners to the tune of $5 billion dollars,” said Nava, who is vying to the be the state’s next chief legal officer. “Wall Street banks are holding us hostage and something must be done to return this money to struggling small businesses and consumers.”Read more

How Merchants Deal with Rising Credit-Card Costs

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:21:25 +0000

Stroll into the Ula Café, a neighborhood coffeehouse in Jamaica Plain, Mass., and you might notice an unusual sign prominently posed on the cash register. The note informs customers that every time they pay with plastic, it costs the coffee shop about 25 cents. Please, asks the sign, reserve use of your credit cards to pay for purchases of $10 or more.Read more

PAC submission to the Department of Finance – Code of Conduct for Credit and Debit Card Industry

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:32:49 +0000

Click here to read the ful submission

Credit and Debit Code of Conduct a Critical Step Towards Transparency for Consumers and Merchants

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:31:31 +0000

The Payments Accountability Council (PAC) applauds government’s efforts to bring clarity, transparency and merchant choice to the debit and credit card market in Canada through the Government of Canada’s Code of Conduct for Credit and Debit Card Markets.

PAC is a coalition representing 250,000 Canadian merchants, co-chaired by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) .

Divisions over credit, debit card code of conduct

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:30:45 +0000

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s move pits major players against business groups.

Visa Reigns With Silent Tax

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:47:59 +0000

The growing use of debit cards has meant big profits for Visa, and there are concerns that the company’s market power has led to unnecessarily high fees to merchants.

Divisions over credit, debit card code of conduct

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:46:56 +0000

Some companies, such as Visa and Moneris, are warning the government it could delay or even kill competition in the debit card market, now largely run by the Interac Association, if it forges ahead with the nine-point code. On the other side, groups such as small businesses and retailers say the code must be implemented as quickly as possible lest costs rise for both stores and consumer.

Retailers Commend Government Code of Conduct for Debit and Credit Cards

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:43:31 +0000

Retail Council of Canada (RCC), The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) and the StopStickingItToUs Coalition, representing more than 250,000 businesses commend Finance Minister Flaherty and the Government of Canada for today’s introduction of a Code of Conduct to govern the Canadian debit and credit card markets. The announcement of the Code is an important step toward ensuring merchant choice, enhanced competition and greater transparency in a marketplace dominated by only a few large companies.Read more

Flaherty holds hammer

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:24:14 +0000

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty warned card companies and banks if they don’t comply with a proposed voluntary code of conduct for the multibillion-dollar credit and debit markets he would bring down the hammer of regulation.Read more