Feel free to copy and paste this text in your own document and create your own letter to Congress or the Senate Congress-------- I am writing to express my concern over the lack of regulation of interchange - the fees that merchants must pay credit-card issuers if they accept credit cards as a form of payment. I know this matter has come before Congress a few different times, in a few different forms, but it has never received the attention it deserves. I urge you to please see the attached document from The Merchant Relief Council, which spells out the distress merchants have with confusing interchange codes and lack of disclosure pertaining to fees, by the companies that process credit card transactions. Small to medium size businesses provide the majority of jobs in this country. We need to cut costs at every corner; we need to spend less time trying to read statements that have no meaning and more time trying to improve our bottom line so we can continue to provide and create jobs. The statements are so vague and confusing that charges can't even be disputed. I would challenge you, Congressmen/Congresswomen ______________ to meet with me and see if you can decipher my bill. Then I would challenge you to call my processor and try and get them to explain the charges. If you had to actually go through this process even once, you would have a clear understanding of our concerns and the urgency to regulate interchange. Some argue that merchants should be happy with the payment platform credit cards offer, and I would agree it's a good one for the most part. However, there is a downside. For example, banks get bail outs with my tax money, then raise my personal credit card fees, and then raise merchant fees through unfair interchange charges! What are you doing to protect the American Dream? Are you interested in protecting the ones who voted you in or the financial and banking lobbyists? If something isn't done, the only ones left standing will be the big banks. This isn't just a small business issue, it affects everyone. I urge you to please take action to protect us against our number one domestic enemy… the out of control financial institutions. Senate---- I am writing to express my concern over the lack of regulation of interchange - the fees that merchants must pay credit-card issuers if they accept credit cards as a form of payment. I know this matter has come before Congress a few different times, in a few different forms, but it has never received the attention it deserves. I urge you to please see the attached document from The Merchant Relief Council, which spells out the distress merchants have with confusing interchange codes and lack of disclosure pertaining to fees, by the companies that process credit card transactions. Small to medium size businesses provide the majority of jobs in this country. We need to cut costs at every corner; we need to spend less time trying to read statements that have no meaning and more time trying to improve our bottom line so we can continue to provide and create jobs. The statements are so vague and confusing that charges can't even be disputed. I would challenge you, Senator ______________ to meet with me and see if you can decipher my bill. Then I would challenge you to call my processor and try and get them to explain the charges. If you had to actually go through this process even once, you would have a clear understanding of our concerns and the urgency to regulate interchange. Some argue that merchants should be happy with the payment platform credit cards offer, and I would agree it's a good one for the most part. However, there is a downside. For example, banks get bail outs with my tax money, then raise my personal credit card fees, and then raise merchant fees through unfair interchange charges! What are you doing to protect the American Dream? Are you interested in protecting the ones who voted you in or the financial and banking lobbyists? If something isn't done, the only ones left standing will be the big banks. This isn't just a small business issue, it affects everyone. I urge you to please take action to protect us against our number one domestic enemy… the out of control financial institutions.