Source: Danielle Kaye, N.Y. Times ( Paid Registration )

Debit and credit card fees are among the top monthly expenses for many small businesses, which say the costs are becoming more onerous as fewer consumers carry cash. When a customer pays with a premium rewards card, the retailer has to pay more to the bank that issued the card.

The Justice Department in September filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa, accusing the company of unfairly stifling competition in debit cards and charging unnecessarily high fees.

Legislative efforts to rein in credit card swipe fees include a bipartisan bill introduced last year by Senator Richard Durbin(D-IL) called the Credit Card Competition Act.

Read Full Article: Small retailers embrace efforts to rein In swipe fees