How Shoppers Who Pay in Cash Are Subsidizing Americans’ Credit Card Reward Points

How shoppers who pay in cash are subsidizing Americans’ credit card reward points

This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it. At the Tiger Fuel gas station and convenience store near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Ruckersville, Virginia, the managers expect to pay more in fees to credit card companies this year than they will on rent — one more expense weighing on the company and its customers amid the surging price of …

How high-end credit card perks are hurting shoppers who pay in cash

A Harvard study estimates that people who pay with cash and debit cards are subsidizing $30 billion a year in points and perks for credit card users.