High court to hear 'swipe fees' case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear a dispute over state laws that prohibit merchants from imposing fees on customers who use credit cards.

The justices said Thursday they will take up a case involving swipe fees that merchants must pay to the credit-card issuer each time a customer charges a purchase. The fees typically range from 2 percent to 3 percent.

Businesses in several states have challenged the laws as a violation of their free speech rights.

The businesses say it’s unfair that they can offer discounts to customers who pay cash, but they can’t tell customers they’re imposing a surcharge for using credit cards.

An appeals court in New York upheld the state’s law but another court struck down Florida’s version of the same law.