@Barkius wrote:Anyway I doubt anyone will see any major difference for the majority of their transactions. I don't think you're going to be sitting in a bar and have the bartender say "yeah that Visa Infinite card is going to cost you an extra $0.15 for your gin and tonic."
Yes, because that bartender will see his/her tip immediately reduced by at least $0.15.
Seriously tough, it will be very difficult for merchants to try to explain to their customers how different credit cards will result in different prices at their establishment. Some customers will understand a "cash discount" and possibly also understand that "Amex cards cost more". But, why is my bill higher when my buddy and I bought the same thing and each paid with a Visa credit card? Plus, the average customer probably doesn't carry a wallet full of different cards for it to be easy to switch to a lower cost alternative at a merchant's whim.
I also think banks will adapt by simply raising fees somewhere else. The same thing happened when the Durbin amendment capped debit swipe fees. Debit card rewards went away along with free checking accounts. No one ever cites examples about where a merchant lowered their prices due to the lowered debit swipe fees.
