Skip to content
Bills from the 2013–14 session

Senate Bill 213

Prohibiting merchants from imposing credit card surcharges in consumer credit transactions

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Jun 5, 2013

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Governor, not reached

  6. Law, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2014: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Rural Issues. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the bill

Following saves it on this device. New actions show on your Following page. You can also get updates in a feed reader.

What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a consumer credit transaction in which the amount financed is $25,000 or less, and which is entered into for personal, family, or household purposes, is generally subject to the Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA). The WCA grants consumers certain rights and remedies and contains notice and disclosure requirements and prohibitions relating to consumer credit transactions, including consumer credit sales. Under both the WCA and federal law, a credit card issuer generally may not prohibit a merchant from offering a discount to a customer to induce the customer to pay by cash, check, or similar means, rather than by use of a credit card.

This bill prohibits a merchant, in a consumer credit transaction, from imposing a surcharge (also known as a swipe fee, convenience fee, or checkout fee) on a customer for using a credit card in lieu of payment by cash, check, or similar means.

Read the full summary

However, the merchant may offer a discount to a customer to induce the customer to pay by cash, check, or similar means, rather than by use of a credit card. A merchant that violates this prohibition on credit card surcharges is liable to the customer in the amount of $25 and any actual damages sustained by the customer.

Who's behind it

4 senators are its ⁠. All 4 are Democrats.

11 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 15 names

Authors (4)

Signed on in support (11)

What happened

  1. Apr 8, 2014

    The session ended, and the bill died with it.

  2. Jun 5, 2013

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Rural Issues.

  3. Jun 5, 2013

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Jun 5, 2013 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Hansen, Lehman, Risser and L. Taylor; cosponsored by Representatives Tranel, Ohnstad, Berceau, Bernier, Hebl, Johnson, Murtha, Nass, Ringhand, Ripp and Tauchen

  2. Jun 5, 2013 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Financial Institutions and Rural Issues

  3. Apr 8, 2014 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor