(NewsNation) — Is Congress coming for your credit card reward points?
According to opponents of the Credit Card Competition Act, a bill proposed in June by Senator Dick Durbin aimed at saving consumers money on credit card fees could have the unintended consequence of killing rewards programs.
The Credit Card Competition Act is meant to reduce “swipe fees” that retailers pay every time a customer chooses to pay with a credit card, which tends to be about 2% of the purchase.
“Every time you use one of these credit cards from Visa or MasterCard, put it in the machine, you’re not only paying for what you’re receiving — you’re also paying a fee that the retailer has to add to the cost of the product they’re selling,” Durbin previously said.
Meanwhile, the CEOs of United and Delta Airlines fear the bill would force airline miles to become a thing of the past.
“It would be really, really bad policy for consumers in this country. … This bill would kill rewards programs. It would not exist anymore. I think it’s a bad policy, and I also think it kind of misses the mark,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said when asked about the bill.
Durbin responded in a statement that “It’s rich that the airline industry, which generates billions of dollars each year from co-branded credit cards, is pretending to have hardworking Americans’ interest at heart. … The airlines have negotiated sweetheart deals with the biggest Wall Street banks at the expense of consumers and local businesses.”