The Vermont House of Representatives voted today to pass legislation to change card payment rules. The bill is an amended version of legislation passed several weeks ago by the state's Senate, which is expected to agree to the House version next week. The bill would then go to Governor Jim Douglas to sign into law.

While the newly amended version does not attempt to fix or regulate interchange rates, the bill does allow Vermont retailers to set minimum  dollar amounts for card purchases, requiring consumers to carry cash more frequently.  The bill would also allow merchants to offer discounts for all preferred methods of payment, including cash, checks, and selectively chosen debit and credit cards (as determined by each merchant.)

Additional details will be posted at The Voice of Payments™ as they become available.