Consumers Against Retail Discrimination Alliance

The Consumers Against Retail Discrimination Alliance or "CARD Alliance" is a project of the Electronic Payments Coalition, whose members include Visa, MasterCard, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, U.S. Bank, Citi and virtually every banking association. The group purports to be concerned about consumers paying fees on purchases when they use debit cards. The financial industry created the "group" in response to an item in a regulatory reform bill that would protect consumers by allowing the federal government to limit on debit card acceptance fees for retailers. The "CARD Alliance" casts this effort as "retail discrimination" and says the measure would force people "to have to carry around cash at all times." The group uses the slogan, "Tell Congress: Hands off My Wallet" (Similar to the "hands off my health care" slogan of Americans for Prosperity in the health care debate.) The Washington Post exposed the CARD Alliance as a front group in an article published on May 25, 2010.

Contact
The Electronic Payments Coalition Email: info AT thecardalliance.org Phone: 1-800-330-9EPC

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Electronic Payments Coalition
 * Front groups

External articles

 * Sam Weber, "Senate takes swipe at interchange fees", Need to Know on PBS, June 2, 2010.