Credit card users are not the only one footing the bill to credit card companies- business owners are also forced to pay a fee for each transaction. This has many business owners complaining that lax standards and aggressive marketing are unfairly increasing their costs of doing business. In fact, a group of business owners from Vermont recently petitioned the state and Congress to take action to curb credit card marketing practices to not only protect users but also reduce their costs. After all, when consumers overspend, they are hurting themselves and the retailer!

From WCAX:
Anyone who has run up a credit card knows how easy it is to fall into debt. And with interest rates commonly topping out well above twenty percent annually, failing to pay the card off quickly results in a mountain of additional debt. It may be a surprise to learn that individual stores are not the ones that make money from credit cards. With interest rates on credit cards skyrocketing, a group of affected people gave Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, an update. They represented consumers, banks, regulators -- and the owner of a convenience store.

Peter Annis of the Black River Quik Stop said, "When a person uses a credit card, based upon a certain margin, I'm paying that person to pump gas -- at the pump." The problem is that when a consumer gasses up and pays on credit, the retailer's payment to the credit card company can be more than the profit margin on the gas. Officials say the two largest national credit card companies, Visa and Master Card, charge stores an average of two and a half percent on each purchase. The two big companies own 80% to 85% of the credit card business, according to the banking industry.