Insights

Claims Filing Deadline May 31st Fast Approaching in Payment Card Interchange Settlement: Monetary Award of $5.54 to $6.24 Billion Available to Merchants

In December 2019, the Courts approved a monetary award in U.S. antitrust litigation between merchant Plaintiffs and Visa, Mastercard, and large U.S. bank Defendants. Merchants interested in claiming settlement payments must file claims no later than May 31, 2024. This settlement opportunity is distinct from the March 2024 proposed injunctive relief settlement.

Reserve Bank of Australia Confirms Least Cost Routing Could Reduce Merchant Debit Costs by 20%

In April 2024, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) released a study entitled “The Effect of Least-cost Routing on Merchant Payment Costs”, which confirmed that least cost routing could reduce merchant debit acceptance costs by 20%. Here are three major findings that Australian merchants need to know from the RBA’s analysis.

Credit Card Competition Act Could Result in Annual Savings Upward of $16.4 Billion

CMSPI estimates pro-competitive policies on U.S. debit have saved merchants and consumers billions.

Assessing the Proposed Visa and Mastercard Settlement in the Context of Recent Fee Increases

In March, a proposed settlement for U.S. merchants accepting Visa and Mastercard card transactions was released, representing a major milestone in a nearly two-decade class action lawsuit. The proposed settlement would require the networks to introduce 4 and 7 basis point decreases to published and average domestic credit interchange fees, respectively, but how do these decreases compare to recent fee increases for U.S. retailers?

Breaking News: $259 Million in Card Fee Increases Reported Despite Interchange Settlement

Following decades of litigation, Visa and Mastercard announced in March a settlement that would cap card interchange fees until 2030. But the guarantees may not apply to the network fees that merchants pay to accept payments – and those are on the rise.

Ecommerce Battlegrounds: Fortifying Your Online Revenue Against Fraudulent Refunds and Chargebacks

In an era where digital transactions form the backbone of global commerce, protecting online revenues against online fraud is more important than ever. The latest data from the Nilson report reveals a concerning trend: the U.S., despite making up only a quarter of global card volume, accounted for nearly half of the world’s total card fraud losses in 2022, amounting to a staggering $13.61 billion in lost revenue. ¹

Cutting Costs, Not Corners: The 2024 Guide to Least Cost Routing for Aussies

In today’s economy, Australian businesses are keenly aware that every dollar counts, and efficiency is king. In payments, the spotlight is shining bright on least cost routing (LCR) as a mechanism for businesses to lower payments costs without compromising on customer experience. With LCR expanding to both online and mobile wallet transactions this year, what should be top of merchants’ minds?

4 Essential Steps for a Winning Tokenization Strategy

Maybe your processor has approached you with their latest token solution, or your finance team has heard about the potential interchange fee discounts?¹ Perhaps you’re even re-vamping your card processing setup and your old strategy doesn’t work anymore. Whatever the reason, tokenization is on the brain, and there are four things you should consider before making a change.

CMSPI Appoints President Elley Frost as CEO

Leading global payments consultancy CMSPI has appointed tenured President Elley Frost CEO effective May 1, 2024. Elley assumes the role after twenty years with the company where she began as an analyst working her way up through the business to Managing Director and later to President and Head of North America.

Payments in 2024: The Outlook from Industry Experts

In its December 2023 Townhall,¹ CMSPI asked industry experts Holly Tjaden, U.S. Payments Manager for McDonald’s, and Lorin Young, Global Payments Manager at Columbia Sportswear, to unpack the challenges and triumphs of the last year in payments. But what’s next? From Artificial Intelligence to the familiar ‘soft landing’, here’s what payments managers are looking out for in 2024.

A Land of Innovation, but How Competitive is the Payments Industry? Part 2: The $161 billion question

Why are card fees so high (and ever-growing) and payment companies so profitable? And what are the options for merchants? In this blog, we will analyze market dynamics in the credit card payment industry and outline three options for merchants looking to tackle the problem.

Late to the Game or First to the Party? How Omnichannel Retailers Can Compete on Payments this Season

Merchants are gearing up for another strong year of e-commerce sales growth in the final shopping days of the 2023 holiday season – signaling a potential turning point for traditional brick and mortar merchants.