NYT had a discussion a few years ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/05visa.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/your-mon

NYT had a discussion a few years ago: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/05visa.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/your-money/credit-and-debi... > While there is little controversy about the fees that Visa collects, some merchants are infuriated by a separate, larger fee, called interchange, that Visa makes them pay each time a debit or credit card is swiped. The fees, roughly 1 to 3 percent of each purchase, are forwarded to the cardholder’s bank to cover costs and promote the issuance of more Visa cards.