This paper examines the impact of the reductions in interchange fees in the United States of America and the European Union. First, the author describes payment card schemes and interchange fees. The focus of this analysis were the regulations of the amount of interchange fees that issuers receive in the United States and the European Union, as well as the legal acts that regulate this subject. The United States experience with the Durbin Amendment provides a useful test case for understanding the costs of interchange fees and interchange fee price controls, so the impact of those regulations on card scheme participants were described. The paper ends with conclusions in which emphasis was placed on ensuring adequate protection to cardholders.

This paper examines the impact of the reductions in interchange fees in the United States of America and the European Union. First, the author describes payment card schemes and interchange fees. The focus of this analysis were the regulations of the amount of interchange fees that issuers receive in the United States and the European Union, as well as the legal acts that regulate this subject. The United States experience with the Durbin Amendment provides a useful test case for understanding the costs of interchange fees and interchange fee price controls, so the impact of those regulations on card scheme participants were described. The paper ends with conclusions in which emphasis was placed on ensuring adequate protection to cardholders.