Rhode Island House Bill H5554

Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/26/25
• Refer: 2/26/25

Caption

Prohibits the charging of interchange fees on taxes and gratuities.

Impact

The enactment of HB 5554 is expected to have significant implications on state tax regulations and payment processing systems. By excluding taxes and gratuities from interchange fees, it aims to reduce the operational costs for merchants and encourage fairer pricing for service-based industries where tips and taxes are commonly included in transactions. This legislation could enhance cash flow for businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, where gratuities are a common transaction component.

Summary

House Bill 5554 aims to amend commercial law regulations by prohibiting the charging of interchange fees on taxes and gratuities involved in electronic payment transactions. This bill is introduced to ensure that merchants do not incur additional fees when transactions involve tax or gratuity amounts. The bill requires merchants to submit specific data related to tax and gratuity amounts during the electronic transaction authorization process to evade these fees. Should this data not be submitted at that moment, merchants will have up to 180 days to submit documentation to receive fee refunds.

Contention

Notable points of contention surrounding the bill involve concerns regarding the documentation and compliance burden it may place on merchants, particularly smaller businesses with limited resources for managing payment processing nuances. Opponents may argue that while the intent is to alleviate costs for certain transactions, the practicality of implementing accurate tracking and reporting of tax and gratuity amounts may introduce complexities. There could also be discussions on whether the bill allows for sufficient regulatory oversight to ensure compliance among payment processors and banks.