The U.S. Senate voted 90-5 to approve its version of the Credit Card Bill of Rights, making it likely the measure will quickly reach the White House for President Obama's signature.

Thanks in part to a grassroots effort by ETA members and the Electronic Payments Coalition, the Senate bill does not include any language directly affecting the interchange system.

The measure makes a number of changes in the way credit card issuers must deal with cardholders, including new rules regard when and how card rates can be changed, timing of statements to cardholders and notification practices. Some of the rules already had been adopted by the Federal Reserve Bank, but would not have gone into effect until mid-2010. Others are more restrictive than the Fed's rules.

The bill now goes back to the House, where according to the Associated Press, it could come up for a vote May 20 and be sent to the White House by week's end.