Large merchants like Walmart and Amazon pay 50% less fees for every dollar compared to smaller merchants—-Smaller merchants is the channel where the most cashback accrues to cardholders.
Winco, as a contrast doesn't even play the game at all.
It’s not a tax on the end consumer. It’s a tax on businesses.
“Buy now pay later”, “park and pick up”, etc, etc are all things you pay for even if you don’t use it.
Those aren’t taxes.
Or extortion money, if less charitable.
I also always wonder what stops competition from encroaching on these credit card fees and reduce it.
If that were not true, then sellers have long had the option of refusing payment via credit card, or at least offering discounts for debit card.
But they do not, because overall, they earn more money from the higher prices that their customers are willing to pay with credit cards than the cost of the credit card processing fees.