Evidence-based policy. Real economic impact.
Our work is grounded in transaction-level data, peer-reviewed economic research, and real-world case studies showing how lower-cost payment infrastructure strengthens local economies.
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Evidence-based policy. Real economic impact.
Our work is grounded in transaction-level data, peer-reviewed economic research, and real-world case studies showing how lower-cost payment infrastructure strengthens local economies.
Already a coalition member? You can optionally contribute anonymized fee data to strengthen Hawaiʻi-specific research and policy analysis.
No uploads required. Approximate ranges are acceptable.
National payment-cost models systematically understate Hawaiʻi’s merchant fees by excluding visitor-driven transaction volume.
National payment-cost models systematically understate Hawaiʻi’s merchant fees by excluding visitor-driven transaction volume.
Hawaiʻi’s geography, visitor-driven economy, and unusually high share of small, independently owned businesses make payment efficiency more consequential than in most states. A large portion of transactions are card-present, short-duration, and low-margin—conditions under which interchange fees and settlement delays have outsized impact. Even modest reductions in effective payment costs compound into meaningful gains for local merchants, workers, and community retention of dollars.
99.3%
of Hawaiʻi businesses are small businesses
of Hawaiʻi businesses are small businesses
$20.77B
2024 Hawaii visitor spending
2024 Hawaii visitor spending
$360M—$700M
of Hawaiʻi businesses are small businesses
9.69M
Total Hawai'i visitors in 2024
Most national payment-cost models allocate fees using resident population only, excluding visitor-driven transaction volume.
Most national payment-cost models allocate fees using resident population only, excluding visitor-driven transaction volume.
Hawaiʻi’s geography, visitor-driven economy, and unusually high share of small, independently owned businesses make payment efficiency more consequential than in most states. A large portion of transactions are card-present, short-duration, and low-margin—conditions under which interchange fees and settlement delays have outsized impact. Even modest reductions in effective payment costs compound into meaningful gains for local merchants, workers, and community retention of dollars.
99.3%
of Hawaiʻi businesses are small businesses
$20.77B
2024 Hawaii visitor spending
$360M—$700M
of Hawaiʻi businesses are small businesses
9.69M
Total Hawai'i visitors in 2024
Most national payment-cost models allocate fees using resident population only, excluding visitor-driven transaction volume.
What The Data Shows
What The Data Shows
Across jurisdictions, payment costs fall when competition increases, transparency improves, and merchants retain negotiating leverage.
Across jurisdictions, payment costs fall when competition increases, transparency improves, and merchants retain negotiating leverage.
Lower payment costs increase local reinvestment capacity
Multiple studies show that when merchant payment costs fall, retained revenue is reinvested locally through wages, hiring, inventory, and expansion—multiplying economic impact within the community. In high-cost, small-business-dominated economies like Hawaiʻi, these reinvestment effects are magnified.
Federal Reserve Bank research on small business margins
MIT Digital Currency Initiative (payment efficiency studies)
Lower payment costs increase local reinvestment capacity
Multiple studies show that when merchant payment costs fall, retained revenue is reinvested locally through wages, hiring, inventory, and expansion—multiplying economic impact within the community. In high-cost, small-business-dominated economies like Hawaiʻi, these reinvestment effects are magnified.
Federal Reserve Bank research on small business margins
MIT Digital Currency Initiative (payment efficiency studies)
Market concentration weakens merchant bargaining power
The U.S. card payments market is highly concentrated. Limited competition among networks and processors reduces pricing transparency and weakens merchant bargaining power—especially in geographically isolated markets like Hawaiʻi, where merchant switching costs are higher.
DOJ Antitrust Division
Federal Reserve Payments Study
Market concentration weakens merchant bargaining power
The U.S. card payments market is highly concentrated. Limited competition among networks and processors reduces pricing transparency and weakens merchant bargaining power—especially in geographically isolated markets like Hawaiʻi, where merchant switching costs are higher.
DOJ Antitrust Division
Federal Reserve Payments Study
Transparency enables safer, lower-cost payment systems
Transparent, auditable payment systems reduce fraud, improve compliance, and enable better regulatory oversight. Jurisdictions that prioritize transparency achieve lower risk and stronger consumer protection without sacrificing innovation.
BIS (Bank for International Settlements)
OECD financial market integrity reports
Transparency enables safer, lower-cost payment systems
Transparent, auditable payment systems reduce fraud, improve compliance, and enable better regulatory oversight. Jurisdictions that prioritize transparency achieve lower risk and stronger consumer protection without sacrificing innovation.
BIS (Bank for International Settlements)
OECD financial market integrity reports
How we evaluate impact in Hawai'i
How we evaluate impact in Hawai'i
We evaluate payment system impact in Hawaiʻi using real transaction data, merchant-level visibility, and alignment with existing regulatory frameworks. Rather than relying on national averages, we focus on how payment costs affect Hawaiʻi businesses in practice—particularly in a visitor-driven economy dominated by small, independent merchants.
We evaluate payment system impact in Hawaiʻi using real transaction data, merchant-level visibility, and alignment with existing regulatory frameworks. Rather than relying on national averages, we focus on how payment costs affect Hawaiʻi businesses in practice—particularly in a visitor-driven economy dominated by small, independent merchants.
01
Real transaction data
We analyze anonymized, aggregated merchant transaction data to identify where fees, intermediaries, and settlement delays create unnecessary costs. This allows us to measure real economic impact across payment types and merchant categories, rather than relying on assumptions or anecdotes.
01
Real transaction data
We analyze anonymized, aggregated merchant transaction data to identify where fees, intermediaries, and settlement delays create unnecessary costs. This allows us to measure real economic impact across payment types and merchant categories, rather than relying on assumptions or anecdotes.
01
Real transaction data
We analyze anonymized, aggregated merchant transaction data to identify where fees, intermediaries, and settlement delays create unnecessary costs. This allows us to measure real economic impact across payment types and merchant categories, rather than relying on assumptions or anecdotes.
02
Collective merchant bargaining and visibility
Most Hawaiʻi merchants negotiate payment terms individually while facing the same cost structures. By organizing merchants collectively, we surface shared cost drivers and improve visibility into system-wide inefficiencies that individual businesses cannot address alone.
02
Collective merchant bargaining and visibility
Most Hawaiʻi merchants negotiate payment terms individually while facing the same cost structures. By organizing merchants collectively, we surface shared cost drivers and improve visibility into system-wide inefficiencies that individual businesses cannot address alone.
02
Collective merchant bargaining and visibility
Most Hawaiʻi merchants negotiate payment terms individually while facing the same cost structures. By organizing merchants collectively, we surface shared cost drivers and improve visibility into system-wide inefficiencies that individual businesses cannot address alone.
03
Regulatory and policy alignment
We evaluate payment improvements within existing state and federal licensing, consumer protection, and compliance requirements. Our focus is on transparency, auditability, and oversight—ensuring innovation strengthens financial safeguards rather than bypassing them.
03
Regulatory and policy alignment
We evaluate payment improvements within existing state and federal licensing, consumer protection, and compliance requirements. Our focus is on transparency, auditability, and oversight—ensuring innovation strengthens financial safeguards rather than bypassing them.
03
Regulatory and policy alignment
We evaluate payment improvements within existing state and federal licensing, consumer protection, and compliance requirements. Our focus is on transparency, auditability, and oversight—ensuring innovation strengthens financial safeguards rather than bypassing them.
04
Measurable economic outcomes
We focus on outcomes that matter to local businesses: effective fee rates, settlement speed, cash-flow timing, and compliance burden. Where possible, we benchmark Hawaiʻi against national models to identify distortions caused by visitor-driven transaction volume.
04
Measurable economic outcomes
We focus on outcomes that matter to local businesses: effective fee rates, settlement speed, cash-flow timing, and compliance burden. Where possible, we benchmark Hawaiʻi against national models to identify distortions caused by visitor-driven transaction volume.
04
Measurable economic outcomes
We focus on outcomes that matter to local businesses: effective fee rates, settlement speed, cash-flow timing, and compliance burden. Where possible, we benchmark Hawaiʻi against national models to identify distortions caused by visitor-driven transaction volume.
Add your business to the coalition record
Joining helps build an evidence-based record of payment costs faced by Hawaiʻi merchants.
Coalition members may be contacted for research validation, aggregated reporting, or policy briefings.
Participation is free. Joining does not commit you to any payment product or political position.
Information is used solely for research, aggregated reporting, and policy analysis.
Add your business to the coalition record
Joining helps build an evidence-based record of payment costs faced by Hawaiʻi merchants.
Coalition members may be contacted for research validation, aggregated reporting, or policy briefings.
Participation is free. Joining does not commit you to any payment product or political position.
Information is used solely for research, aggregated reporting, and policy analysis.