According to the WSJ :
"Though invisible to shoppers, interchange fees are a constant source of aggravation for merchants. Their interchange costs have ballooned in recent years along with the popularity of rewards credit cards, which typically carry higher fees to cover the cost of travel perks and other benefits. But the networks’ “honor all cards” rule means that a merchant who accepts one Visa credit card, for example, must accept all of them.
U.S. merchants paid card issuers an estimated $55.4 billion in Visa and Mastercard credit-card interchange fees in 2021, more than double the amount in 2012, according to the Nilson Report. They pass along at least some of these costs to the consumer in the form of higher prices. More merchants have started charging consumers extra when they pay with credit cards." ...
They are giving some discounts to merchants, like daycares and dining, or giving a break to other merchants that do less than $250K a year, but there are exceptions.
@Adkins
Following on this good information (thank you), I have noticed that the hair saloon, banker, butcher all have posted notices that they will add 3.9% to a credit card transaction for Visa or MasterCard. Get's better, my local city added 3.9% to using one of the two card networks for any payment transactions. All this started awhile back (summer 2021) and it seems to be spreading in my geographic area (the outback north land of the United States or if you prefer the frozen wilderness).
From my memory it used to be a comfort to merchants/vendors for consumers to use credit/debit cards as they did not have to worry about bad checks. Now the same merchants are offering consumers the ability to use paper checks in lieu of United States Currency or credit cards.
It appears from my front porch we are regressing in a world of digital electronic transactions?! 
@Anonymous wrote:@Adkins
Following on this good information (thank you), I have noticed that the hair saloon, banker, butcher all have posted notices that they will add 3.9% to a credit card transaction for Visa or MasterCard. Get's better, my local city added 3.9% to using one of the two card networks for any payment transactions. All this started awhile back (summer 2021) and it seems to be spreading in my geographic area (the outback north land of the United States or if you prefer the frozen wilderness).
From my memory it used to be a comfort to merchants/vendors for consumers to use credit/debit cards as they did not have to worry about bad checks. Now the same merchants are offering consumers the ability to use paper checks in lieu of United States Currency or credit cards.
It appears from my front porch we are regressing in a world of digital electronic transactions?!
Interchange fees are not new, so I'm actually still surprised that so many merchants haven't baked that fee into their pricing.
As for that porch, I remember my Dad talking about using ATMs in the 80s and how the banks forced customers to the ATMs by charging a fee to use a human teller. Then in the 90s they started charging $2/transaction at the ATM and that forced people back to the tellers. It's just like credit vs. checks (which I suspect could make a comeback).
@MasonK wrote:As for that porch, I remember my Dad talking about using ATMs in the 80s and how the banks forced customers to the ATMs by charging a fee to use a human teller. Then in the 90s they started charging $2/transaction at the ATM and that forced people back to the tellers. It's just like credit vs. checks (which I suspect could make a comeback).
No kidding! Over the last two years I've done some major renovation work at my house, including a new sprinkler/irrigation system, bathroom remodel, etc. NONE of the companies I've worked with--or talked to while figuring out who to work with--accepts credit cards. Not one. When I asked why they didn't, the most common reason was the extra expense involved in processing/accepting them. My checkbook has gotten quite a bit of use recently! If this keeps up, I'll need to reorder checks....for the first time in 10 years!
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@MasonK wrote:As for that porch, I remember my Dad talking about using ATMs in the 80s and how the banks forced customers to the ATMs by charging a fee to use a human teller. Then in the 90s they started charging $2/transaction at the ATM and that forced people back to the tellers. It's just like credit vs. checks (which I suspect could make a comeback).
No kidding! Over the last two years I've done some major renovation work at my house, including a new sprinkler/irrigation system, bathroom remodel, etc. NONE of the companies I've worked with--or talked to while figuring out who to work with--accepts credit cards. Not one. When I asked why they didn't, the most common reason was the extra expense involved in processing/accepting them. My checkbook has gotten quite a bit of use recently! If this keeps up, I'll need to reorder checks....for the first time in 10 years!
Follow your posting completely! Did a lot of work with contractors on the house and not one would accept credit card (2017-2020).
@Anonymous wrote:
@SoCalGardener wrote:
@MasonK wrote:As for that porch, I remember my Dad talking about using ATMs in the 80s and how the banks forced customers to the ATMs by charging a fee to use a human teller. Then in the 90s they started charging $2/transaction at the ATM and that forced people back to the tellers. It's just like credit vs. checks (which I suspect could make a comeback).
No kidding! Over the last two years I've done some major renovation work at my house, including a new sprinkler/irrigation system, bathroom remodel, etc. NONE of the companies I've worked with--or talked to while figuring out who to work with--accepts credit cards. Not one. When I asked why they didn't, the most common reason was the extra expense involved in processing/accepting them. My checkbook has gotten quite a bit of use recently! If this keeps up, I'll need to reorder checks....for the first time in 10 years!
Follow your posting completely! Did a lot of work with contractors on the house and not one would accept credit card (2017-2020).
It's weird, right?! I was absolutely shocked as I found out no one takes CCs for such major jobs. I mean, shoot, do they expect everyone to just have access to tons of cash for major projects like that? 
Sure, there are companies that do take CCs, but I was using personal referrals to hone in on just the right company for each job--with very specific requirements, like a strong and LONG reputation in my immediate area, neighbors who could vouch for their workmanship and quality, etc. It just so happened that all the companies I narrowed my list down to didn't take CCs!
Extra cost... theyre crazy. Theyre probably just worried about being charged back if they screw up. Wow... never thought about that before. Heck, just charge the fee, or something... it ain't THAT much!
I probably average 4% catback when looking at all card usage.
So a fee would be a wash, really.
Bankers not making much off of me.
I'm having this bizarre vision of small retail establishments preferring Amex and Discover all of a sudden...
