The short answer is: Yes and no. The longer answer is that it depends on the type of card. You'll have to follow applicable rules as well. Credit cards: Yes. It is acceptable for you to set a minimum charge on credit card purchases as long as you abide by the stipulations as set forth in your processing agreement with Visa, Mastercard and Discove...

A class action lawsuit was also filed, allowing business owners a path to attempt to recoup money they were overcharged. This article includes the official class action website for those who would like to stay on top of deadlines. But first, let’s take a look at what actually happened. What did Discover do? According to the FDIC and Federal Re...

But what does that mean, exactly? In this article, I’ll lay out the Justice Department’s claims and explain how it affects you and your business. Lawsuit Overview The Justice Department’s civil antitrust lawsuit alleges that Visa engaged in unlawful conduct regarding debit card networks. It claims that Visa holds a monopoly in debit card network ...

First of all, I’m referring to the lawsuit formally named In Re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation. You may also see it called the Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement, which should be the return address. It’s a good idea to verify that any paperwork you’ve received matches this information. Unfortunately, th...

Update: 1/3/2020 I originally wrote about Worldpay's questionable practice described in the article below back in May of 2019. Then, I spent a good deal of time helping the folks at Reuters understand what was happening in order to expose the deceptive billing tactic. Reuters published its article on the topic in August of 2019. I wish the article...

The short answer: yes, when done correctly. The longer answer is that there’s a lot of confusion about the difference between “cash discounts” and “surcharges,” or "checkout fees" and that confusion has led to labeling surcharge programs as cash discount programs. Let’s look at the differences between the two and how you can stay on the right si...

The court heard arguments in early 2018 and ruled in late June. Let’s look at the arguments on both sides and the results of the case. Ohio v. American Express American Express’ merchant agreement includes an “anti-steering” clause that prohibits businesses from encouraging customers to use a lower cost card when they try to pay with an America...

Let’s take a look at what the lawsuit claims and what you can do if you process credit cards through Wells Fargo Merchant Services. Wells Fargo Lawsuit The lawsuit - Patti’s Pitas et al v. Wells Fargo Merchant Services - filed in August 2017 in New York, alleged that Wells Fargo charged unauthorized fees and failed to deliver on promises that i...

The executives, who worked for Commerce Payment Systems, are accused of perpetuating a scam against thousands of small businesses and obtaining more than $30 million through overcharging and deceptive tactics. In this article, I will lay out the allegations and show you how to avoid potential scam practices when choosing a credit card processor ...

In 2017, CNBC noted that Republicans planned to drop a proposed repeal of the Durbin Amendment. Additionally, financial and political publications have reported on the possibility of expanding provisions to cover credit cards, not just debit cards. In 2022, Forbes published a piece suggesting that expansion to credit cards is a bad idea and that C...