Serving The Deliverable Fuels Industry
The Proposed Swipe-Fee Settlement
What could the $ 38-billion Visa / Mastercard swipe-fee settlement mean for fuel marketers?
STEPHEN BENNETT
Energy Marketers of America has filed objections to the proposed settlement.“ A federal court in New York rejected an earlier version of the settlement, and EMA views the new one now before the court as equally bad for merchants,” the trade group said.“ The thrust of EMA’ s objections is that the latest version of the settlement provides only a temporary and unworkable solution to the problems caused by excessive interchange fees, while permanently restricting merchants’ legal rights.”
EMA also believes that even a bad settlement would be touted by Visa and Mastercard as a major achievement that they could use to kill the Credit Card Competition Act( CCCA) now pending in Congress.“ EMA has worked hard to support the CCCA as representing a real reform of the system and a significant step forward for its retailer-members,” the Association said. For more on the EMA’ s objections, turn to the News section, which begins on page 6.
For a deeper dive into the proposed settlement, turn to page 18, where Marci Gagnon describes the potential ramifications if the settlement goes through.“ For many businesses, this settlement represents a valuable opportunity to slow the rising costs associated with accepting credit cards,” Gagnon writes.“ Although the agreement has not yet been approved, the proposed settlement offers genuine advantages for marketers, along with new challenges for customer experience that will require careful planning.”
If the proposal passes, marketers will have more cost control tools, Gagnon notes,“ but using them without harming customer goodwill will require clear signage, consistent messaging, and well-trained staff.”
HOUSE BILL INCLUDES INCREASE FOR LIHEAP The House Appropriations Committee released its draft Labor / HHS funding bill, which includes LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The draft would provide $ 4.045B for LIHEAP, an increase of $ 20 million from fiscal year( FY) 2025, the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association said in a Jan. 20 statement.
Last year, both the House and the Senate proposed small increases for LIHEAP for FY2026. $ 4.045B is the number from the Senate, the higher of the two proposals, NEADA said.
The bill also includes language requiring HHS to explain how it plans to operate the program considering the staffing cuts last spring.
The 2026 Southeastern & International Propane Expo will take place Sunday, April 19- Tuesday, April 21 at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The event features more than 40 education sessions or workshops, and more than 250 suppliers of goods and services. Expo also offers a large array of propane-related products and services. For some sessions and events additional fees apply. For complete information, visit www. npgaexpo. org / 2026. l FON
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Columnists Rashaan Baskerville Marci Gagnon George Lanthier Shane Sweet
List Rentals Kris Grauer 203 / 822-7933 kgrauer @ npsmediagroup. com
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4 FEBRUARY 2026 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www. fueloilnews. com
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