President Donald Trump has publicly expressed support for the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, legislation that seeks to increase competition in the U.S. credit card payments market and reduce transaction fees paid by merchants.
The bill, which has been introduced in multiple sessions of Congress, is sponsored in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and continues to be a point of debate among lawmakers, financial institutions, and merchant groups.
The Credit Card Competition Act would require the two largest credit card networks, Visa and Mastercard, to enable merchants to choose from at least two unaffiliated processing networks when accepting credit card payments.
Supporters argue that this requirement would introduce competition into a market they say is dominated by a small number of companies, while opponents have raised concerns about potential impacts on fraud prevention, network security, and cardholder benefits.
OHI has been actively involved in advocating for the legislation through its participation in the Merchants Payments Coalition, a multi-industry group representing retailers and service providers.
Over the past two years, OHI has organized trips to Washington, D.C., involving more than 75 outdoor hospitality businesses to engage with lawmakers on the issue of credit card processing costs.
“President Trump’s support on this issue underscores just how urgent the need for reform has become,” said David Basler, OHI’s chief strategy officer and SVP of government affairs.
“Credit card swipe fees are typically the second or third largest expense for outdoor hospitality businesses, squeezing small businesses and driving up prices unnecessarily for the camping consumer. The Credit Card Competition Act offers a common-sense solution that promotes fairness, choice, and free-market competition.”
Swipe fees are charged to merchants each time a customer uses a credit card. According to industry estimates, these fees collectively cost U.S. businesses tens of billions of dollars annually.
Merchant groups contend that, unlike other areas of the payments ecosystem, credit card network fees are not subject to meaningful market pressure, allowing costs to increase over time. Financial institutions and card networks, however, maintain that the fees support payment infrastructure, security, and consumer rewards programs.
“Most campgrounds aren’t just taking credit cards online or at check-in. They are also taking them at the business’ grocery store, restaurant, or gift shop, and these fees take a massive hit to a small business’ bottom line,” Basler added.
“We appreciate President Trump’s strong support and urge Congress to move swiftly to pass the Credit Card Competition Act this Congress.”
For owners and operators in the outdoor hospitality, glamping, RV, and caravan sectors, the debate around the Credit Card Competition Act highlights the importance of understanding payment processing costs across all revenue centers on a property.
As lawmakers consider the bill during the current congressional session, industry professionals may want to evaluate how transaction fees affect pricing strategies, margins, and long-term planning, while also monitoring potential regulatory changes that could reshape how electronic payments are handled.
As part of its advocacy efforts, OHI has directed members and industry stakeholders to its Advocacy Action Center, where business owners can send letters to members of Congress expressing support for the legislation.
According to OHI, the process is designed to take approximately one minute to complete and is available at votervoice.net. The organization has also encouraged businesses to share the issue more broadly with their customer base, noting that a separate outreach link is available for consumers at votervoice.net.
OHI has indicated it will continue working with lawmakers from both parties, its member businesses, and consumer advocacy groups as the legislative process moves forward.