Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) visited a Casey’s convenience store last week in Topeka, Kansas, to discuss swipe fees and other industry concerns as well as tour the store, shadow the manager and interact with customers and constituents.
Throughout its almost 200 locations in Kansas, Casey’s is estimated to have paid $17 million in swipe fees this year alone, according to a press release from the senator’s office. Senator Marshall, a longstanding defender of small businesses, helped to introduce the Credit Card Competition Act this year. It aims to bring competition to the credit card market and lower swipe fees for all Americans.
“Small businesses like Casey’s General Store are the backbone of the Kansas economy. Across the state, thousands of convenience stores employ nearly 20,000 Kansans. These stores generate more than $7.3 billion in sales annually, and credit card swipe fees remain one of their largest expenses,” Senator Marshall said. “Credit card swipe fees are inflation multipliers crushing our small businesses and forcing them to raise their prices on consumers. I have legislation to alleviate the Wall Street megabanks and Visa-Mastercard price gouging tactics and inject competition into the credit card industry.”
During his visit, he was joined by Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer of Casey’s, Doug Beech, senior assistant general counsel and director of government relations for Casey’s, and Doug Kantor, general counsel, NACS.
“At Casey’s, we take pride in serving local communities throughout the heartland, but rapidly increasing credit card swipe fees hurt our guests and our business,” Brennan said. “With credit card fees rising by more than 50% just since 2020, the pressure this puts on the average family only gets worse. Something must be done and we can’t thank Senator Marshall enough for being a champion of Main Street by working to slow Wall Street’s efforts to swipe money right out of our pockets.”
“All of Main Street appreciates the incredible support that Senator Roger Marshall provides every day,” Kantor said. “Senator Marshall’s Credit Card Competition Act is the most significant piece of legislation under consideration today to help small businesses across the nation. Credit card swipe fees multiply the effects of inflation and hit small businesses the hardest. It’s time for Congress to follow Senator Marshall’s lead and choose their constituents over Wall Street bankers.”
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