Washington, D.C. (Dec. 13, 2022) — As Congress considers controversial legislation to apply routing restrictions to credit card transactions — which would end popular credit card rewards programs — the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) released new polling conducted by Morning Consult indicating consumers oppose the policy change.

According to the ICBA polling conducted by Morning Consult:

  • 89% of adults who receive credit card rewards say they value their rewards program.
  • 65% of voters say ending credit card rewards would impact the economy.
  • 74% of voters say changing the technology that credit card servicers use would affect the economy, and 68% say it would affect inflation.
  • 61% of Americans say consumers would not benefit from overhauling the card networks, including a bipartisan majority of Democrats (52%), independents (67%), and Republicans (65%).
  • 57% of voters do not trust the merchants who would profit from the change to pass on their cost savings to customers, including a bipartisan majority of Democrats (53%), independents (60%), and Republicans (58%).

"ICBA and the nation's community banks strongly oppose the introduction of the controversial Credit Card Competition Act, anti-consumer legislation that would end credit card rewards program merely to expand the Durbin Amendment's government-orchestrated transfer of income from low-income households to the nation's largest retailers," ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. "As today's polling shows, Americans recognize the legislation for what it is — a bad deal for consumers."

As ICBA has repeatedly told Congress, the Credit Card Competition Act would end popular credit card rewards programs, require community banks to help subsidize the costly and burdensome changes it would impose on the payments system, limit access to credit by driving small issuers out of the credit card business, and hand over the security of the nation's credit card system to merchants, which are not required to meet the same rigorous standards that apply to highly regulated community banks. According to Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond data, large retail merchants have pocketed $106 billion in interchange fees funneled to them by the Durbin Amendment — violating their pledge to pass the windfall on to consumers.

ICBA continues calling on every member of the House and Senate to oppose the Credit Card Competition Act and ensure it does not advance in end-of-year legislation.

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America® creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services.

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute roughly 99 percent of all banks, employ nearly 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5.8 trillion in assets, over $4.8 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.5 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers' dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA's website at www.icba.org.

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