Rovertown and NACS partner on swipe fee reform advocacy

New initiative leverages mobile apps to educate consumers and drive meaningful action towards reform.

Rovertown has partnered with NACS and select retailers to educate consumers about the impact of swipe fees and the need for reform. While many Americans face rising costs on everyday goods, few realize that hidden credit card processing fees are a major contributor. The average U.S. household pays an estimated $1,100 annually in swipe fees – costs set by credit card networks, passed down to retailers, and ultimately paid by consumers.

"Swipe fees are one of the biggest financial challenges facing our industry. They are the second-highest operating expense for convenience retailers and impact nearly every American, as half the country visits a convenience store daily,” says Anna Ready Blom, Strategic Advisor at NACS.

Visa and Mastercard control about 83% of the U.S. credit card market, setting the fees that banks charge retailers for processing transactions. Because these networks prevent banks from competing on swipe fee pricing, retailers are forced to accept whatever rates are imposed. As a result, swipe fees have soared – quadrupling from $26 billion in 2010 to over $172 billion in 2023. With no competitive market to keep costs in check, the U.S. now has some of the highest card processing fees in the world, placing a growing financial burden on both retailers and consumers.

To help drive awareness and action, Rovertown partnered with two retailers in December 2024 to integrate swipe fee reform messaging into their mobile apps. In just a few months, nearly 3,000 letters have been sent.

“Swipe fees are an invisible tax on every purchase, and most consumers don’t realize they’re paying it. By adding awareness messaging to our app, we’ve helped many people take action—proving that when customers understand the issue, they demand change,” says Doug Yawberry, President at Weigel's.

Customers who clicked to learn more were directed to a NACS Grassroots page explaining the issue and providing a simple way to contact their congressional representatives.