Tulsa Business Says Visa, Mastercard Settlement Could Help Small Business

Mastercard and Visa have reached a $30 billion settlement, and that means small businesses will pay less to credit card companies whenever a customer pays with a credit card.

This is part of an anti-trust lawsuit brought against the two companies back in 2005.

One business owner says this is good news because owning a small business is already tough in this economy.

Small businesses have to pay a percentage back to credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard whenever customers use a card to pay.

Ashley Ryan is the Owner of Stash Apparel and Gifts on Brookside and says customers almost always pay with a credit card.

"We live in such a digital age that everything is connected to credit cards and how you can get points and what apps you're using,” said Ryan. "The cash that we collect is very, very rare. It's few and far between. Spanning over 13 years, it used to be something. Like the drawer was super important, and you would count it throughout the day, multiple times. But cash doesn't exchange hands very often."

She says right now, they pay about 3 to 4 percent for every transaction, and that adds up over time.

"When you look at what you're spending in credit card fees every year, it is astronomical,” said Ryan. “You could have a whole salary employee for that."

Ryan hopes the lower fees will help lower her costs.

She says customers like to use cards because it’s convenient for them and they like to get rewards.

"The amount that leaves the community is large,” said Ryan. “So if you get more miles, or more points, or a bigger kickback, that comes at our expense. So we're charged higher fees on those."

She says any way for her business to save money will be a welcome change.

"Everything comes at a price, it feels like, especially owning a small business,” said Ryan. “Expenses are really, really high. Spending is down, everything costs so much. So, I think shaving it down at least gives us a fair chance."

The settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge.

The fees businesses pay will be capped until 2030, when both sides would renegotiate.