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Bill

SD 664

An Act relative to transparency in credit card fees

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Cronin

Massachusetts bill requires credit card companies to itemize and clearly disclose all merchant processing fees to increase pricing transparency for small businesses.

House concurred
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SD 664

Legislative bill overview

Bill SD 664 requires credit card companies and payment processors to provide transparent disclosure of all fees charged to merchants, including interchange fees, assessment fees, and any other processing costs. The bill mandates clear, itemized billing statements that break down these charges so merchants understand exactly what they're paying for card acceptance services.

Why is this important

Merchants—particularly small businesses—often lack visibility into the true cost of accepting credit cards, as fees can be bundled or obscured in complex statements. This bill aims to empower business owners with concrete data to negotiate better rates, evaluate payment processors, or make informed decisions about their payment systems. Greater transparency could also reduce disputes between merchants and payment processors over billing accuracy.

Potential points of contention

  • Industry compliance costs: Payment processors may argue that disaggregating and clearly itemizing all fees requires system updates and administrative burden, potentially increasing operational costs they could pass to merchants
  • Competitive sensitivity: Some processors claim detailed fee disclosure reveals proprietary pricing models and competitive strategies, potentially disadvantaging them against larger competitors
  • Definition scope: Ambiguity around which fees must be disclosed and how "interchange" and other technical charges should be explained could create compliance challenges and litigation over bill formatting standards

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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