How to Money · Monday, July 13, 2026
Listener Phil questions the ethics of using credit cards given the fees merchants pay, which he argues erode local economies. Hosts Joel and Matt acknowledge the validity of his concerns but explain that for individual consumers, the benefits of credit card rewards and protections often outweigh the fees. They also touch upon the Credit Card Competition Act, which aims to introduce more competition and potentially lower fees.
“But personally, I think I'm going to likely continue to use credit cards basically until the rewards and the other benefits that they're offering. No longer makes sense to me as an individual.”
“And so in both the grocery bags and the credit card fees examples, an individual can choose to make a principal decision, and I think it's awesome. Three cheers for autonomy and more power to you, Phil, But I don't think it's likely going to make much of a difference on pricing until there's either a change at the top or until there's a competitor who is offering a different option.”
“And so I wish the system would improve, and I hope that this system improves too, But for the time being, I think you got to kind of play the game as it exists exactly.”