Louisiana bans debit card surcharges, but card companies still get their cut

Louisiana enacted a law prohibiting merchants from adding surcharges on debit card transactions, which supporters tout as consumer protection. However, critics note that the legislation does not eliminate the underlying debit card fees charged by financial institutions and payment networks like Visa and Mastercard. The state measure reinforces existing federal prohibitions established under an amendment to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.