Financial · Card Economics
A proposed rule change is not a pricing policy.
Low-ticket, frequent transactions make card acceptance details visible quickly in parking. But interchange, processor pricing, network rules, state law, guest disclosure, and a proposed antitrust settlement are different layers. Treating them as one “card fee” produces bad decisions.
Status as of April 4, 2026
The November 2025 Visa and Mastercard settlement was proposed, not effective.
The parties' filed settlement description states that the agreement was subject to court approval. As of this article's publication date, operators should not implement proposed card-tier acceptance or surcharge changes as though approval or an effective date had occurred. Confirm current network rules, processor requirements, applicable law, and later court status with qualified advisors.
Separate the layers
Know which number and rule you are discussing
A transaction has more than one payment cost
Interchange
Issuer-side economics
A network schedule can vary by card, transaction, merchant, and qualification; it is not necessarily the rate on the processor statement.
Network
Assessment and rule layer
Visa and Mastercard rules govern acceptance and surcharging alongside fees charged through the acquiring chain.
Processor
Merchant pricing
Flat, bundled, pass-through, gateway, statement, and other contracted charges determine what the operator actually pays.
Loss
Refund and dispute economics
Refunded fees, disputes, fraud, and operational handling can matter more than a small difference in headline rate.
Understand what the proposal tries to change
Current decision
Use today's rules- Follow processor and network requirements now in force
- Check state and local surcharge restrictions
- Disclose the guest's total clearly
Proposed flexibility
Await status- Changes to acceptance by card category
- Changes to surcharge flexibility
- Temporary interchange-rate relief
→The proposal may affect future choices, but a pending term is not an operating permission.
For operators, the practical work is a tender-level contribution model. Start with the displayed parking price, then show taxes, guest-facing fee if lawful and chosen, payment processing, refunds, disputes, validation reimbursement, and the net amount reaching the operating entity. Keep employee tips separate from operating revenue.
Surcharging is not merely a way to “recover fees.” It changes the guest price at the moment of payment, can require notices and receipt detail, may be restricted by jurisdiction or card type, and can move customers toward cash or another tender that has its own costs. Compare the whole workflow and guest promise before choosing.
Revisit the settlement only when a court order, network implementation, processor guidance, and applicable law create an effective rule the operation can actually follow. Until then, model it as a scenario rather than a capability.
