FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: J. Craig Shearman
(202) 257-3678 craig@shearmancommunications.com
WASHINGTON, May 20, 2025 – The Merchants Payments Coalition today welcomed a letter from the nation’s largest Native American tribes asking Congress to make the Credit Card Competition Act part of the GENIUS Act in order to hold down rising costs for tribal members.
“The Credit Card Competition Act would be transformative for rural and tribal communities by allowing us to keep more of our revenues in communities rather than allowing big banks to gorge on profits from their unjust, antiquated and completely unnecessary swipe fees,” Coalition of Large Tribes Chairman J. Garret Renville said.
With swipe fees driving up prices by nearly $1,200 a year for the average family, “That is an outrageous amount of money, especially for our tribal families who often live well below the poverty line,” Renville said. “Credit and debit fees literally keep food out of reach for some tribal families.”
The letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., asked that the CCCA be attached to “any stablecoin legislation” including the GENIUS Act, “or any other moving vehicle.” The Coalition of Large Tribes represents more than 50 tribes with reservations of 100,000 acres or more, encompassing more than 90% of Indian lands and more than half of the U.S. Native American population. The letter explains the central importance of tribal businesses to funding government services to tribal citizens, and how many millions of those critical tribal government dollars are lost to baseless credit card swipe fees each year.
The COLT letter is the latest endorsement of the CCCA by several Native American tribes and Native American business owners. Eric White, chairman of the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, based in Washington state, told Congress “even we, as sovereign nations, are powerless to negotiate.”
“Constantly rising swipe fees take money out of the pockets of American families every day, but the impact is hardest on low-income families, including many Native Americans,” MPC Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores General Counsel Doug Kantor said. “Swipe fees drive up prices for consumers even when they pay cash. With Native American tribes disproportionately affected and asking for relief, it’s time for Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act.”
The CCCA is supported by almost 2,000 companies and nearly 300 trade associations as well as a broad group of consumer, labor and pro-competition organizations.
Credit and debit card swipe fees – which have risen 70% since the pandemic and reached a record $187.2 billion in 2024 with the percentage rate charged on each swipe going up dramatically – are most merchants’ highest operating cost after labor. The fees are far too high to absorb, especially for small merchants, and drive up consumer prices by nearly $1,200 a year for the average family. Swipe fees paid in each state and the amount saved under the CCCA are available here.
Visa and Mastercard – which control 80% of the market – each centrally set the swipe fees charged to merchants by banks that issue cards under their brands, and also block transactions from being processed over other networks that could do the job with lower fees and better security. The legislation would require banks with at least $100 billion in assets to enable cards they issue to be processed over at least two unaffiliated networks – Visa or Mastercard plus a competitor like NYCE, Star or Shazam.
Banks would choose which networks to enable but merchants would then choose which to use, resulting in competition over fees, security and service that is expected to save merchants and consumers $17 billion a year. Rewards would not be affected, security would be improved, consumers would still use the same cards, and community banks and all but one credit union would be exempt.
About MPC
The Merchants Payments Coalition represents retailers, supermarkets, convenience stores, gasoline stations, online merchants and others fighting for a more competitive and transparent card system that is fair to consumers and merchants. Follow MPC on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn for the latest on swipe fees.
