WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. retail chain 7-Eleven said it collected a record 1.66 million signatures to protest "non-negotiated" transaction fees charged by credit card companies.
In a release Thursday, the company said it would present 130 boxes of signed petitions to members of Congress at a press conference Sept. 30 at the U.S. Capitol.
"The 1.66 million signatures are the largest number of signatures collected for a public policy issue on record, beating a healthcare reform petition submitted to Congress earlier this year with 1.3 million signatures," the company said in an invitation to Wednesday's press event.
7-Eleven is calling for Congress to pass legislation to put an end to "unfair, non-negotiated" transaction fees, the statement said.
Credit card companies have mounted their own public relations campaigns. Last week, Visa released results of a survey that showed customers by a 2-to-1 margin indicated they believed retailers should pay the cost of accepting credit and debit cards.
"The response is loud and clear: Consumers aren't buying the message convenience store chains and big retailers are selling," said Bill Sheedy, group president of the Americas for Visa Inc.
