StopStickingItToUs

The StopStickingItToUs Coalition is a group of Canadian associations, led by Retail Council of Canada and backed by over 200,000 businesses from coast-to-coast, that is standing up to the Big Credit Card Companies to put a stop to skyrocketing fees. Join the fight and take action by writing your MP and sounding the alarm about these fees.

The coalition will also be actively involved in the proposed re-structuring of Interac. Interac, Canada’s efficient and cost-effectve debit system has applied to the Competition Bureau to re-structure and join the Big Credit Card companies in charging higher fees. Coalition members intend to act as interveners in the process and fight to keep Interac from moving ahead with this change as it will be detrimental to merchants and all Canadians.

How can you help? Join the fight by writing a letter to your MP. We have created this letter template for you to use.

Go to this link and follow three quick and easy steps to send a letter and/or postcard to your MP. It’s important that every one of the 250,000 merchants in our coalition make their voices heard, so please act today.

Payments Accountability Council commends federal government for key announcements in federal budget
Retail Council of Canada (RCC), The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) and the Payments Accountability Council (PAC), representing more than 250,000 businesses commend Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and the Government of Canada for announcing in yesterday’s budget measures to rein-in the practices of credit card companies, banks and processors as they relate to the [...]

Ottawa puts credit card industry on notice
Ottawa is proposing legislation that would give the federal finance minister the authority to regulate the credit and debit card industry, “a huge victory” for merchants and consumers, a coalition of retailers said Thursday.Read more

Interac to remain non-profit: Regulator
In a decision Interac described as “disappointing,” the federal competition watchdog said Friday that it could not support the debit service provider’s bid to become a for-profit company.However, the Competition Bureau opened the door to agreeing to other changes in Interac’s business model that would make it more competitive with Visa and MasterCard as the [...]

Interac loses bid to become for-profit corporation
Canada’s competition chief has shot down a bid by the Interac Association to become a for-profit corporation, dealing a blow to the country’s main debit system as it prepares for battle with Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc.The decision by Melanie Aitken, the Commissioner of Competition, means that the possibility of an initial public offering of [...]

Paying cash may benefit consumers under surcharge plan
Retailers should be allowed to surcharge consumers based on the type of payment used, a study finds, saying it would be fairer to customers who pay with cash.The C. D. Howe Institute also recommends that Canada’s existing debit provider, Interac, be allowed to go for profit so it can compete more effectively with Visa and [...]

Calif. officials probe credit card interchange fees
“California consumers and businesses are being taken to the cleaners to the tune of $5 billion dollars,” said Nava, who is vying to the be the state’s next chief legal officer. “Wall Street banks are holding us hostage and something must be done to return this money to struggling small businesses and consumers.”Read more

How Merchants Deal with Rising Credit-Card Costs
Stroll into the Ula Café, a neighborhood coffeehouse in Jamaica Plain, Mass., and you might notice an unusual sign prominently posed on the cash register. The note informs customers that every time they pay with plastic, it costs the coffee shop about 25 cents. Please, asks the sign, reserve use of your credit cards to [...]

PAC submission to the Department of Finance – Code of Conduct for Credit and Debit Card Industry
Click here to read the ful submission

Credit and Debit Code of Conduct a Critical Step Towards Transparency for Consumers and Merchants
The Payments Accountability Council (PAC) applauds government’s efforts to bring clarity, transparency and merchant choice to the debit and credit card market in Canada through the Government of Canada’s Code of Conduct for Credit and Debit Card Markets. PAC is a coalition representing 250,000 Canadian merchants, co-chaired by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and the [...]

Divisions over credit, debit card code of conduct
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s move pits major players against business groups. Read more