National Small Business Week Report:

Credit Cards Deliver 121% ROI, $26,000 in Annual Benefits for Small Businesses

Washington, DC — The Small Business Payments Alliance (SBPA) issued its annual National Small Business Week Report this week, detailing how credit cards deliver major benefits for small businesses — driving a 121% ROI and generating $26,000 in annual benefits for merchants accepting credit cards.

“Credit cards are one of the most powerful tools that small businesses have to grow. For every dollar spent on acceptance, merchants get more than two dollars back through higher sales, lower costs, and built-in protections against fraud and nonpayment. That’s not a cost — that’s an investment. Durbin-Marshall credit card mandates would rip those benefits away, weaken payment security, and force small businesses to take on more risk and fewer sales — all while Washington picks winners and losers. That’s bad policy, and small businesses will pay the price.” — Peter Kauffmann, SBPA spokesperson.

SBPA NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK REPORT 2026

During National Small Business Week, small business owners across the country are recognized for the important role they play in our economy. The nation’s 36.2 million small businesses employ 62.3 million Americans – almost 46 percent of the private sector workforce. The modern and secure electronic payments system is critical to the success of small business – but there is a push in Congress for new government mandates that pose a direct threat to the electronic payments system.

The proposed Durbin-Marshall Credit Card Mandates would undermine payment security, limit consumer choice, and create new challenges for small businesses that rely on a dependable and secure credit card system. Small business owners oppose these federal government mandates because they see firsthand that accepting credit cards is an investment in their businesses.

Research from the Small Business Payments Alliance (SBPA) details how credit cards deliver major benefits for small businesses – driving a 121% ROI and generating $26,000 in annual benefits for merchants accepting credit cards.

A copy of the full report can be found here.