Episode 251: The Industry Fights Back Against The Credit Card Companies

Despite the inflationary pressures facing retailers and small business operators, the credit card companies have decided that now’s the time to increase their fees and take an even bigger chunk out of already tight margins. We are joined by Lyle Beckwith, the Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores and also the leader of the Merchant Payment Coalition to help us understand what’s happening, why its happening, and more importantly, how operators can fight back. And the midterm elections are just six months away and major political shifts are afoot not only at the federal level but in governor’s offices across the country. We’ll take a look at where things stand today and particular races that operators should pay close attention to. And the comment period for the SEC’s proposed climate change rule is closing quickly. We’ll discuss the ramifications for the industry and how operators can protect their interests. And of course, the latest and greatest on Starbucks, which now has over 60 units that have voted for unionization. We’ll discuss those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.