Visa and Mastercard Propose Eliminating the Honor All Cards Rule
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A report dated October 29, 2026, stated that Visa and Mastercard proposed eliminating the “honor all cards” rule in a settlement agreement still awaiting final approval from a federal judge. If approved, merchants could theoretically choose to accept only some bank cards and charge surcharges on higher-fee cards. However, American Express CEO Stephen Squeri and merchant payment consultants believe that rejecting specific cards could trigger consumer dissatisfaction and checkout friction; because premium credit card transactions typically generate greater sales, the practical value of the rule change for merchants may be limited.
AI-written from reports · updated 1 hour ago
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- Payments DiveVisa and Mastercard plan to eliminate the “honor all cards” rule, but merchants may still find it difficult to reject premium cards
Visa and Mastercard plan to eliminate the “honor all cards” rule under a settlement agreement that still awaits final approval from a federal judge. In theory, merchants would be able to choose to accept some bank cards while charging surcharges on higher-fee cards. Citing American Express CEO Stephen Squeri and merchant payment consultants, the article says that rejecting specific bank cards could lead to consumer dissatisfaction and friction at checkout, while premium credit card transactions typically generate greater sales, meaning the rule change may have limited practical value for merchants.
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