WASHINGTON – On Thursday, the Antitrust Task Force of the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing examining the impact of interchange fees on merchants and consumers. But Congress is already hearing about the issue with a new ad campaign.

The advertisements are being placed this week by the Merchants Payments Coalition (MPC), a group of merchant trade associations cofounded by NACS, that seeks a more competitive and transparent credit card fee system. The ads show how the big credit card companies use some of the billions they collect from the credit card “interchange” fee to pay for marketing campaigns, including a mountain of more than nine billion unsolicited credit card offers sent out every year.

“Ever wonder who pays for all that credit card junk mail? You do. It comes from your credit card interchange fees. Interchange is the biggest credit card fee you’ve never heard of – and it’s dangerouTs,” note the ads.

The ads began running in Washington newspapers today, in anticipation of Thursday's hearing, and can be viewed at: www.unfaircreditcardfees.com.