Texas Restaurant Association encourages Texans to use cash

As Small Business Saturday on November 29 approaches, the Texas Restaurant Association is encouraging Texans to pay with cash instead of credit cards to help local restaurants keep more of every dollar during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

This request comes at a time when credit card swipe fees are receiving national attention following the newly proposed Visa/Mastercard settlement. The proposal has renewed focus on how swipe fees affect small businesses, especially restaurants operating on thin margins during the holiday season.

Swipe fees now average 2.35% per sale and total nearly $187 billion nationwide. They are the third-largest expense for restaurants after food and labor. According to national estimates, these fees cost the average American family about $1,700 a year.

The recent settlement proposal underscores how much pressure these fees place on small businesses and highlights the growing urgency for long-term solutions that support a competitive marketplace.