b'NEWSWIRECredit Card Competition Act Reintroduced in CongressT he Credit Card CompetitionMembersareencouragedtoreviewPVA continues advocating for policies Act has been reintroduced indata, myths, and facts provided by thethat reduce costs and support passen-the U.S. Congress with bipar- Merchants Payments Coalition. Clickger vessel operators, small businesses, tisansponsorshipandrenewedmo- here to learn more.and the travel and tourism economy.mentum following public statements of support from the president of the United States.The legislation is sponsored by Sens. RogerMarshall(Kan.)andDick Durbin (Ill.) in the Senate and Reps. Lance Gooden (Texas) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.) in the House. It is designedtointroducecompetition intothecreditcardpaymentsmar-ket and rein in excessive swipe fees charged to merchants.PVAstronglysupportsthepassage of the Credit Card Competition Act. Credit card swipe fees have increased dramatically and now represent a sig-nificantandunsustainablecostfor passenger vessel operators.With most passengers paying for tick-ets, ferry trips, and onboard purchases by credit card, these fees affect nearly everytransaction,bothonshoreand offshore,drivingupoperatingcosts and consumer prices.The bill would apply only to the larg-est banks and require them to offer at leasttwounaffiliatedpaymentnet-workoptions,introducingcompeti-tion into a market currently dominat-ed by Visa and Mastercard. Increased competition would help lower costs, improve service, and enhance security for small businesses.41 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026'