Pennsylvania families are already paying more for groceries, household necessities, and everyday expenses. They should not be forced to pay even more because a retailer decides to turn a debit card processing fee into another source of profit.
 
In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to protect consumers from excessive debit card fees by prohibiting retailers from charging customers an amount that exceeds the actual cost incurred by the retailer to process the transaction.
 
Consumers increasingly rely on debit cards for everyday purchases. While businesses may incur legitimate costs associated with processing electronic payments, those costs should not become an excuse to impose excessive or inflated charges on customers.
 
Unfortunately, consumers have reported encountering businesses that add several dollars to a purchase simply because a debit card is being used even when the actual processing cost to the business is substantially less. A processing fee should cover a processing cost. It should not be a profit center.
 
My legislation would establish a straightforward standard: if a retailer passes a permissible debit card processing cost on to a customer, the amount charged may not exceed the retailer’s actual cost associated with processing that transaction. Retailers would be prohibited from inflating the charge, adding arbitrary amounts, or profiting from a fee represented to consumers as a debit card processing fee.
 
This is particularly important at a time when families are already feeling the effects of higher prices and increased costs of living. Whether someone is buying groceries, picking up necessities at a neighborhood store, or making another routine purchase, every dollar matters.
 
This legislation is not intended to punish responsible businesses or prevent them from recovering legitimate costs. It is about transparency, fairness, and ensuring that Pennsylvania consumers are not taken advantage of at the register.
 
If the fee costs a business 50 cents, the customer should not be charged $2, $3, or $5. A fee should cover the cost not create a windfall.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this commonsense consumer protection legislation to ensure that Pennsylvanians pay only the legitimate cost of debit card processing fees and not a penny more.