Banks Get Green Light for Non-Interest Fees Rule
Published Date: 4/29/2026
Rule
Summary
Starting June 30, 2026, national banks can clearly charge all kinds of non-interest fees, like card swipe fees, even if set with help from others. This rule makes it official that banks have the power to collect these fees, and the public can share their thoughts until May 29, 2026. If you use or work with banks, this could affect the fees you see on your statements!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Prevents Illinois Interchange Ban From Binding Banks
The OCC issued this interim final rule to make clear it preempts the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) as applied to national banks before the IFPA's July 1, 2026 effective date. This aims to prevent possible disruptions in Illinois (and to merchants or customers transacting with Illinois) such as banks declining card transactions or changing card terms because of the IFPA's $1,000-per-transaction civil penalty.
Banks Can Charge Card Interchange Fees
Starting June 30, 2026, the OCC clarified that national banks may charge non-interest fees, explicitly including interchange fees from credit and debit card operations. If you use or accept payment cards, this rule confirms banks’ authority to assess and collect those card-swipe or interchange fees.
Fees Allowed Even If Set By Third Parties
The OCC rule says national banks may obtain non-interest charges or fees even when those fees are set by, or in consultation with, third parties and may obtain them through intermediaries or fee‑sharing arrangements. The rule also removes the word “customer” from the authority text so banks can receive fees via third parties rather than only directly from the individual receiving a product or service.
OCC Says No New Direct Costs on Small Banks
The OCC states that the interim final rule imposes no new mandates or direct costs on OCC‑supervised institutions, including the roughly 420 national banks it supervises that qualify as small entities for OCC purposes. The OCC therefore concluded the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of those small entities.
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