At The Rebel Walk, our mission is to provide in-depth, high-quality coverage of Ole Miss athletics, giving fans real-time updates, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews. But as a small, independent digital media business, we do much more than just report on the Rebels—we work every day to build a trusted platform where our readers, subscribers, and advertisers know that every one of their transactions is secure.
Whether it’s processing a recurring subscription payment, selling advertising space, or helping effectuate payments for partner promotions, our business depends on a reliable electronic payment system that protects both us and our customers from fraudulent actors. That system, which is used by millions of businesses nationwide, stopped $80 billion in fraud attempts in 2022 alone—ensuring that businesses like ours don’t have to absorb costly fraudulent charges or put our customers’ financial information at risk. But now, this vital system is under threat. The Durbin-Marshall credit card bill is a piece of legislation that promises to lower swipe fees–the cost of processing transactions–by forcing credit card companies to adopt alternative payment networks. While that might sound like a good deal for businesses at first glance, the reality is far more dangerous for small businesses like mine. If the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill passes, it could have disastrous consequences for the security of the electronic payments system. Under the current system, interchange revenue is used to invest in robust payment security features. But this proposal would flood the market with alternative payment networks that are unlikely to have the robust security we need. For small businesses like The Rebel Walk, security isn’t just a nice-to-have feature—it’s a foundational part of building trust with our audience and advertisers. If this bill passes and exposes us to less secure, untested networks, we would be putting both our reputation and our financial stability at risk. The bill’s proposals would weaken the very protections that keep fraudsters at bay, exposing small businesses to increased chargebacks, financial losses, and potential damage to our customer relationships. On top of that, the bill would also limit consumer choice. Right now, when a customer uses a credit card, they know and trust the network on which their transaction is processed. Introducing new payment networks into the market and taking away that transparency would diminish the control consumers have over how their transactions are handled. I urge Mississippi’s Congressional delegation to oppose the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill. While it’s sold as a way to help small businesses, it would ultimately create new vulnerabilities in the system that we’ve come to rely on, leaving small businesses like mine to pick up the pieces. As it stands, our payment network is secure, efficient, and effective at protecting us from fraud. We can’t afford changes that would increase our risk of falling victim to fraud and data breaches.This post was authored by The Rebel Walk owner Evelyn Van Pelt.
