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NZ Commerce Commission Proposes Caps on Interchange Fees for Commercial Credit Cards

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The Commerce Commission of New Zealand released its draft decision to introduce caps on interchange fees for Mastercard and Visa commercial credit cards in a bid to have a more "fair and efficient" payments system, the competition, consumer, and regulatory agency said on Thursday.

New Zealand businesses currently pay roughly NZ$125 million in interchange fees annually to accept Mastercard and Visa commercial credit cards, and the proposed caps are expected to reduce these costs by NZ$40 million per year.

The final decision will be made later in the year, according to Commissioner Bryan Chapple.

Westpac Banking (ASX:WBC, NZE:WBC) shares fell marginally in morning trade in New Zealand, while ANZ Group (ASX:ANZ, NZE:ANZ) shares were down nearly 1%.

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