NEW YORK - It€™s no secret that each time a consumer pays for goods with their rewards card that it costs retailers more per transaction, compared to a regular credit card.

CNN Money wrote last week that 40% to 70% of credit card transactions are made with rewards cards, according to Phil Hinke, founder and president of MerchantFeeSavers.

In fact, most consumers aren€™t even aware that retailers are the ones footing the bill for their free airline miles and other reward-laden perks.

"Very few consumers realize that these interchange [swipe] fees are what fund these cards," Curtis Arnold, the founder of CardRatings.Com, told CNN.

Arnold adds that most small businesses "don€™t have the bargaining power," and that the "small business owner is paying more €" not only to use a rewards card €" but just to use plastic in general."

But retailers could be on the verge much-needed change.

According to CNN, Visa says that retailers are free to dissuade customers from using rewards-based credit cards, thanks to a settlement between Visa and MasterCard and the Department of Justice. Visa and MasterCard settled with the DOJ in June, and with that decision, merchants are now able to offer consumers discounts between cards and force the cards to compete on cost.