Retail Council of Canada (RCC) applauds Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach for his recommendation to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government to limit fees charged to businesses for processing credit and debit transactions - fees that eventually trickle down to consumers.

The Premier's recommendation came Monday in an open letter to the Prime Minister outlining Alberta's priorities for the federal budget. RCC encourages Premiers in every province to stand up for Canadian small businesses and the communities they serve by taking a stance on these skyrocketing fees.

"At a time when Canadian consumers and merchants are struggling, Premier Stelmach has shown great leadership by calling for limits to the skyrocketing fees charged by big credit card companies and the banks that issue their cards," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. "In addition, businesses are facing the introduction of new payment schemes from the credit card companies next year, including the introduction of debit, and the restructuring of Interac, which we anticipate will substantially increase fees for merchants."

The fees charged to merchants for accepting credit and debit transactions represent an enormous cost for average Canadians and any organization that accepts payment by this method - small businesses and retailers, charities, schools, restaurants, hotels, government services and others. The average Canadian household pays hundreds of dollars a year in fees without even knowing it as they are a hidden portion of virtually every transaction they make.

Federal and provincial political leaders can help Canadians and the small businesses at the heart of their communities by taking action against skyrocketing credit and debit card fees. If swift action is not taken, small businesses and the jobs they provide could be at greater risk - in addition to the impact on Canadians' tightening budgets.

The fees retailers, restaurants, charities and others pay the big credit card companies and the banks issuing their cards are among the highest in the world, exceeding 2 per cent. That means that a $100 purchase costs small businesses two dollars or more, which goes directly to the card companies and their issuing banks. Compare that to a small business in Australia that is charged 45 cents on the same $100 transaction, or in the UK where they pay 79 cents - in these and other countries governments acted to curb high card costs.

Dozens of countries around the world - the U.S., Australia, Colombia, Hungary, Romania and Spain - are investigating the card companies' fee practices. The StopStickingItToUs coalition calls on federal and provincial political leaders to expose these fees and standup for small businesses, their employees and the Canadian communities they serve.