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February 18, 2026
Opinion piece highlights the importance of lowering swipe fees
What it means: Swipe fees have become one of the highest costs for business owners, limiting their ability to keep prices down, hire and retain employees, and grow their business. Adam Temple, NFIB Senior Vice President of Advocacy, explores legislation that Congress can pass to encourage competition and limit growing swipe fees.
Our take: “As long as this anti-competitive, rate-setting regime remains in place, small businesses and their communities will suffer. That’s why Main Street is counting on Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act,” said NFIB Vice President of Advocacy Adam Temple.
Take Action: Support competition to limit growing credit card fees!
Credit card swipe fees charge 2-4% on average per credit card transaction, and the market is dominated by just two credit card processing companies. In 2024, swipe fees totaled $187.2 billion and have become the second highest overhead cost for many small businesses.
In an opinion piece published in RealClearPolitics, NFIB Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Adam Temple, explores the Credit Card Competition Act, its development in Congress, and its impact on encouraging competition in the credit card processing market.
This bipartisan bill will provide options for small businesses to choose their credit card processing network, ultimately forcing these credit card companies to compete for business, like small business owners do every day.
Read the full opinion editorial covering the Credit Card Competition Act and its importance to fuel competition in the credit card processing network.
Take Action: Tell Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act to give small businesses freedom of choice to pick their credit card processing network.
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