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Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

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Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#321
post #314
post #311

This is a very us centric view. Most of the europe is so much ahead of US in payments that it is funny. There are dozens of alternative payment methods in the Europe. Especially in the Nordics card payments are on a big decline. There are basically two "tracks" to move money - card networks and bank to bank. Most new payment methods use bank transfer as the method of moving money. In the Nordics, every country has a…

While it is true that we have more options, I do not agree that non credit card mobile payment options are a primary payment. These still lack a lot of usability improvement in comparison to the now widespread mobile credit cards supported by almost all banks too. So I still recognise visa and their support for Apple Pay helps maintain this power. Heres to hoping that Apple Pay (and Android) will open up directly to…

Of course Visa and Mastercard still have a big role, especially in the brick & mortar. But when looking at e-commerce, the share of card payments is 40%. I don't think it is very relevant to discuss "duopoly" and say that they have the power to censor user content - because they don't. If they ban you, you still have many other options. AFAIK the point in the article was that we should break the credit card duopoly because they have too much power. I don't think that is the case here.

Do you think that the credit card companies having too much power is a big problem in the Nordics?

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#322
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't like to carry cash around, and I hate it that I have to pay a surcharge when paying by card. So you think your use of a credit card should be subsidized by people who pay in cash?

People who pay in cash are subsidizing the store’s costs to handle cash. Paying employees to count the cash (usually after closing), putting it in the safe, distributing the cash to cash registers, refilling when they run out of change, paying for the security service (Brinks etc) to deliver cash to/from the bank, insurance against robbery... Cash is not free for a store to handle. Stores pay transaction fees on cred…

This is an interesting argument, but it is not backed up by actual store behavior.

Stores generally try to give extra charges for using credit cards, not the other way around.

It seems like the fair thing to do, should be to allow a store to do whatever it wants, and make these credit card requirements illegal.

So, it would be allowed for stored to charge extra for either cash or credit, whatever they choose, and the credit card companies would be forbidden from stopping this.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#323
post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s also a fake one. As the other commenter said, the credit card system came about bec cash was very expensive to use for stores. They were passing along those costs to consumers, the fact that that’s now inverted by some stores (cash discounts) is only doable bec of the prevalence of credit cards. Stores need to accept cash regardless, so there’s still some minimal added costs to using cash, but even with the offe…

In the US you are a criminal if your business is dealing with large amount of cash everyday. That’s how credit card got the market share. Companies make the law so you will use their system. They dont profit if you use cash whywould they allow you to do that.

It's more like folks don't want to get robbed by keeping everything in cash, and so they use banks.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#324
post #306
post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If companies weren't allowed to offer predatory lending towards financially illiterate the problem you describe dissolves, this is actually much easier to implement than individual responsibility.

Ah yes, the old "let's block stupid (poor) people from accessing financial instruments for their own good" argument while at the same time having legal gambling.

Hey, if you want to argue that gambling should be more restricted, then go ahead.

It is highly restricted in many places.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a properly competitive market the merchant doesn’t really get to keep it. Presumably they set their prices to a value that is X% higher than where they would normally set their prices without the need to pay transaction fees. If exactly half their business is paid in cash/debit and half in credit, then X might be set to something like half of the excess CC transaction fee. Then the credit card customers get to spl…

So get a rewards card. Some percentage of the sales taxes go to support programs I don’t agree with or use. And I can’t escape that. However, one could start a cash-only store if one wanted. You are also ignoring the cost of cash. Theft and cash handling isn’t a zero cost. Why should I, as a credit card user, be forced to subsidize losses due to cash handling? We could also talk shoplifting as well; policies that don…

> Why should I, as a credit card user, be forced to subsidize losses due to cash handling

How about the store gets to decide what to charge?

Most stores seem to believe that credit cards are more expensive, which is why they try to offer discounts for cash.

So the facts do not back you up.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#326
post #311

This is a very us centric view. Most of the europe is so much ahead of US in payments that it is funny. There are dozens of alternative payment methods in the Europe. Especially in the Nordics card payments are on a big decline. There are basically two "tracks" to move money - card networks and bank to bank. Most new payment methods use bank transfer as the method of moving money. In the Nordics, every country has a…

Yes but concentrating that many things on your phone is not the solution. It causes different problems.

These are not concentrated to phone.

-Direct bank payments use your bank id. You can have bank id stored in the phone, but you can also use a personal keychain authenticator

-Klarna, Collector, etc use your social security number as the primary identification method

-Mobile payments like Swish and mobile pay use your mobile number, so it is linked to your phone subscription, not your phone.

Of course you still need to have a bank account, but there are a lot of banks out there.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#327
post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s also a fake one. As the other commenter said, the credit card system came about bec cash was very expensive to use for stores. They were passing along those costs to consumers, the fact that that’s now inverted by some stores (cash discounts) is only doable bec of the prevalence of credit cards. Stores need to accept cash regardless, so there’s still some minimal added costs to using cash, but even with the offe…

Germany is still way more cash-based and you see less consolidation of businesses into large chains than in the US. I'm not sure I buy "drowning in the same costs". I think there's something more akin to a prisoner's dilemma here.

Germany is cash-based because of consumer behavior, not because costs are somehow lower. With corona, e-Commerce and services like SumUp more widespread Germany will inevitably catch up with other countries.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#328
post #314
post #311

This is a very us centric view. Most of the europe is so much ahead of US in payments that it is funny. There are dozens of alternative payment methods in the Europe. Especially in the Nordics card payments are on a big decline. There are basically two "tracks" to move money - card networks and bank to bank. Most new payment methods use bank transfer as the method of moving money. In the Nordics, every country has a…

While it is true that we have more options, I do not agree that non credit card mobile payment options are a primary payment. These still lack a lot of usability improvement in comparison to the now widespread mobile credit cards supported by almost all banks too. So I still recognise visa and their support for Apple Pay helps maintain this power. Heres to hoping that Apple Pay (and Android) will open up directly to…

In Sweden, you can pay in most online stores (that I visit) with Klarna. They use direct back transfers.

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#329
The worst part is, that the fee for a card payment is shared between Visa/MasterCard and your bank.

Bank transfers within a country are often free of charge, but are quite uncomfortable to make (typing numbers) and usually are not sent immediately (so that you can not pay this way in a grocery store).

Banks have no interest in making bank transfers easier or faster, or opening up to cheaper competitors of Visa/MasterCard. Meanwhile, people happily keep their money in a bank, seeing that all bank services are free and that it "can not get any better".

I think, if anyone is to replace Visa/MasterCard, they should also make their own bank (a place where people keep money in a long-term).

Re: Forget Google, time to end the Visa-MasterCard duopoly

#330
post #311

This is a very us centric view. Most of the europe is so much ahead of US in payments that it is funny. There are dozens of alternative payment methods in the Europe. Especially in the Nordics card payments are on a big decline. There are basically two "tracks" to move money - card networks and bank to bank. Most new payment methods use bank transfer as the method of moving money. In the Nordics, every country has a…

There is also a huge difference in b2b payments. Cards account a very small percentage of B2B payments in Europe. I don't know how it is in the US, but I've understood that a much higher share of B2B payments go the card-track?
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