The National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees came out today urging the owners of its 4,900 franchise-owned stores, their nearly 40,000 employees, and their customers to contact their elected representatives by visiting www.unfaircreditcardfees.com which provides individuals with the advocacy tools necessary for communicating their support of the Fed’s current rulemaking process in swipe fee reform.
Currently, big banks and credit card companies are attempting to delay and kill this needed reform through a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign which, if successful, would cost each individual 7 Eleven store an average of $7,000 per year.
Bruce Maples, national chairman of the Coalition, referencing a sudden announcement of pro-delay advocates that the banks can apparently now live with a shorter delay period, warns that these kinds of PR tactics are manipulative and deceptive.
“If policymakers buy into the propaganda perpetuated by the big banks and credit card companies, our franchisees have no choice but to pass on these arbitrary fees directly to their customers,” Maples said. “This responsible law was agreed to last year with American families in mind and, given the state of the economy, it is unconscionable that big banks are now attempting to thwart the will of the people through a carefully choreographed yet disingenuous campaign.”
Maples urged members and their customers to re-double their efforts to reach out to Congress so their voices can be heard above the clamor of the credit card companies by visiting www.unfaircreditcardfees.com.
Both merchants and consumers can click on the appropriate links on the website which will direct them to further information and an easy to use online action alert with which they can reach out to their representatives and senators.
The National Coalition has sent franchise owners to Washington over the past 10 weeks to visit their members of Congress, and encourage them to support the Federal Reserve’s swipe fee rulemaking process. They have joined numerous other retail organizations and associations on Capitol Hill, including members of the broad-based Merchants Payments Coalition, in this important effort.
The coalition is the national trade group for 7-Eleven storeowners in the U.S., representing the interests of 4,900 franchise-owned stores, which employ nearly 40,000 workers. The coalition has 36 regional Franchise Owner’s Association member organizations throughout the 30 states in which 7-Eleven operates.