I wouldn’t assume everyone is happy with it. Consumers are going to prefer rewards programs over no rewards programs. And before you say it results in higher prices, that’s not necessarily true. Australia regulated away interchange and it didn’t result in lowering prices. Merchants kept the profit.
A lot of times these regulations are pitched as helping consumers, but it’s really merchants pushing for them. You could make a similar observation about the EU regulatory fight with Apple et al right now. It’s actually Spotify fighting for it, and they have different interests than consumers.
A lot of times these regulations are pitched as helping consumers, but it’s really merchants pushing for them. You could make a similar observation about the EU regulatory fight with Apple et al right now. It’s actually Spotify fighting for it, and they have different interests than consumers.