The Truth in Lending Act of 1968 mandated that issuers may not prohibit sellers from offering inducements to pay by cash, check or other alternatives to credit. But Congress then banned surcharging in 1976, only to let the federal ban expire in 1984, leaving it to states to create disparate laws governing the practice. Next the Durbin Amendment to the 2010 Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act clarified that merchants are legally entitled to steer customers to less expensive payment methods. And in 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that card-brand bans on surcharging violate merchants' free-speech rights.
However, no law says the card brands have to make it painless for merchants to implement surcharging, cash discounts or other less costly alternatives to credit cards. Indeed, the card brands have an apparent long-standing disdain for surcharging or any type of differential pricing, which has created ongoing frustration among merchants and their service providers. This issue's lead article delves into the current state of differential pricing within the industry and how payment companies are overcoming obstacles and making it work.
Escalating non-interchange pass-through fees are another pain point for merchants and acquirers, which one contributor details herein. Other topics industry experts take on in this issue include how to get potential customers comfortable with complexity when selling today's full-featured products and services; the dramatic evolution of POS offerings from humble countertop terminals to today's powerful offerings; what the recent drop in fintech investment portends; a notable spike in check fraud while check usage is declining; and embracing fintech partnerships to gain flexibility and agility while preserving security and oversight.
News stories included highlight Inc.'s 2024 regional honorees in the United States; Google's plans to discontinue Google Pay, its challenger to Apple Wallet; the National ATM Council's introduction of the U.S. Secure ATM Database to bolster safety in the retail ATM ecosystem; the finalized Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule set to slash typical credit card late fees from $32 to $8; and Apple's reinstatement of Epic Games' developer status, allowing the creation of an Epic Game Store for iPhones and the return of the popular Fortnite game.
We hope you benefit from the above articles along with the product and company profiles and recent industry milestones we've spotlighted. Let us hear from you at greensheet@greensheet.com, and please continue to send your news to press@greensheet.com. 
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