Taking a page from the practice introduced by President Clinton, the retail coalitions fighting to keep the Durbin Amendment on track for enactment in July are putting a face on the issue through small business owners “feet on the street” efforts. Putting their side of the debate into a nutshell, a small gas station owner presses the flesh in Washington.
Mr. Bohnen passed out free coffee to passers-by as they headed for the offices of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. He also gave away mugs that urged people to “Tell Congress to support commonsense swipe fee reform!”
“Last year, debit and credit card fees exceeded payroll as my biggest expense,” said Mr. Bohnen, who operates two service stations in south Minneapolis and is president of the Minnesota Service Station & Convenience Store Association. “When you have [those fees] as your top expense, it says something has to be done.”
Both large retailers and large issuers have discovered the power of small as a means of striking at the emotional heart of this subject.