Sponsored by:

Governor Signs Gift Card Fraud Bill into Law

Minnesota consumers, retailers and law enforcement scored an important victory Wednesday as Governor Tim Walz officially signed HF 3155 into law, strengthening Minnesota’s fight against modern organized retail crime and gift card fraud schemes.

The legislation—now Session Law Chapter 74—adds gift card fraud to Minnesota’s organized retail theft statute, helping law enforcement and prosecutors better target sophisticated criminal operations that steal, tamper with, and drain gift cards impacting retailers and consumers across the state. The law builds on Minnesota’s bipartisan organized retail crime framework passed in 2023. The gift card law takes effect August 1, 2026.

Minnesota Retailers thanks Governor Walz for signing the bill and recognizes the bipartisan leadership that helped move the legislation through a challenging legislative session. The bill passed unanimously in both the Minnesota House and Senate.

“We appreciate the Legislature coming together in a bipartisan way to address a very real and growing criminal activity impacting Minnesotans,” said Minnesota Retailer President Bruce Nustad. “Gift card fraud is part of a broader evolution of organized criminal activity targeting retailers and consumers alike. This law is another important step in modernizing Minnesota’s response, protecting consumers, supporting frontline retail employees, and giving law enforcement stronger tools to combat these crimes.”

Minnesota Retailers appreciates chief Senate author Zach Duckworth and chief House author Brad Tabke for their leadership and persistence in guiding the legislation through the process. Additional bipartisan co-authors and supporters from both parties played an important role in helping move the bill to the Governor’s desk.

We also the many retailers, law enforcement and prosecutors, and coalition members who supported the effort throughout session and helped elevate the importance of addressing organized gift card fraud in Minnesota.

You can view the new law here: Session Law Chapter 74.

Minnesota Retailers also invites members and partners to join its June 3 Legislative Wrap Up event at Smash Park in Roseville to celebrate the new law, connect with policymakers and industry leaders, and discuss what’s ahead for Minnesota retail.

Last Call for Minnesota’s Retail Champions Nominations!

Minnesota’s retail community is full of leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers—and now is the time to recognize them.

Minnesota Retailers has opened nominations for its annual Minnesota’s Retail Champions awards, a statewide program that highlights the individuals, businesses, and communities driving retail forward. Nominations are open through May 15, 2026, with honorees recognized this fall at Retail Rally.

Submit a nomination: www.mnretail.org/nominate

Recognizing the full retail ecosystem

The Minnesota's Retail Champions program is designed to reflect the full scope of Minnesota’s retail landscape—from main street stores to regional operators to national brand, and from frontline teams to behind-the-scenes partners.

Awards span a wide range of categories, including:

• Retailer of the Year – Overall excellence in retail performance
• Community Retailer of the Year – Strong local engagement and impact
• Retail Community of the Year – Cities, chambers or districts supporting retail success
• Advocate of the Year – Leadership in advancing retail policy and priorities
• Vendor Partner of the Year – Partners helping retailers grow and compete
• Customer Experience – Creating standout in-store or digital experiences
• Social Responsibility – Commitment to community and purpose-driven work
• Retail Innovation – New ideas and approaches shaping the future of retail
• Best Place to Work – Investing in employees and workplace culture
• Lifetime Achievement – A career of lasting impact in Minnesota retail

A platform for retail’s story

More than an awards program, Minnesota's Retail Champions is an opportunity to elevate the role retailers and key partners plays in communities across the state. From job creation and local investment to innovation and service, nominees represent the best of what retail contributes to Minnesota’s economy and quality of life.

Winners are selected through a competitive review process and recognized publicly, helping share their stories with policymakers, partners, and fellow retailers.

Submit by May 15

Nominations close May 15, 2026. Whether it’s a business in your community, a colleague, or a partner making a difference, now is the time to put their name forward.

Nominate a Retail Champion at www.mnretail.org/nominate!

Minnesota’s retail story is being written every day. This is a chance to recognize the people and organizations leading the way.

NOMINATE NOW

Tariff Turbulence Continues: What Retailers Need to Know

Retailers continue to operate in an environment of significant tariff uncertainty following another major federal court ruling this week involving President Trump’s latest global tariff strategy.

On May 7, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled 2-1 that the administration’s temporary 10% global tariffs imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 were unlawful. The court found the administration exceeded its authority under the statute, which allows temporary tariffs only in limited balance-of-payments situations.

The ruling, however, was narrow in scope. Relief currently applies only to the plaintiffs in the case, including two importing businesses and the State of Washington, meaning most retailers and importers must continue paying the tariffs for now while appeals proceed.

The Trump administration has already appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, signaling the legal battle is far from over.

This latest decision follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s February ruling striking down many earlier tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Those earlier rulings triggered substantial refund discussions and the creation of a Customs and Border Protection refund portal for certain importers.

For retailers, the immediate takeaway is straightforward. Continue planning as though the tariffs remain in effect for now. Trade attorneys and analysts widely expect continued appeals, additional lawsuits from other businesses, and potentially new tariff actions under different legal authorities such as Section 301 investigations already underway.

Import Cargo Volume Expected to Remain Below 2025 Levels Despite May-June Bump

From the National Retail Federation, May 8, 2026

Import volume at major U.S. container ports is expected to remain below last year’s levels into early fall despite a skewed year-over-year bump in May and June, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“The numbers show a year-over-year increase for the next two months, but that’s only because of the sharp fall-off in imports after ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were announced in April 2025,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “With inflation rising and consumer confidence falling among global economic uncertainty driven by the conflict in Iran, the overall trend of lower imports is expected to continue after that.”

Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said retailers have been cautious about building up inventories.

“Containerized imports in the first quarter were down year over year, and forward demand is weakening,” Hackett said. “Stalling re-stocking efforts and rising geopolitical tensions are increasingly clouding the outlook.”

READ MORE

Daily Toll of Credit Card ‘Swipe’ Fees on Gas and Diesel Tops $60 Million

From the Merchants Payments Coalition, May 4, 2026

The amount big banks and card networks may collect in credit card “swipe” fees on gasoline and diesel has now reached as much as $60 million a day, the Merchants Payments Coalition said today.

“The pain the credit card industry is inflicting on Americans at the gas pump just keeps growing,” MPC Executive Committee member and National Association of Convenience Stores General Counsel Doug Kantor said. “High, price-fixed credit card swipe fees are multiplying the other factors driving gas and diesel prices higher. This makes life less affordable for Americans as these prices, particularly diesel prices, inflate the cost of most of the things people buy. This is exactly the kind of swipe fee ripoff President Trump has said needs to end. American families cannot afford for this to continue.”

Credit card swipe fees on the average $4.46 gallon of gasoline amounted to 10.5 cents as of today, according to MPC’s Fuel Price/Swipe Fee Tracker, while swipe fees on the average $5.64 gallon of diesel were 13.3 cents. Based on average daily fuel consumption and the average swipe fee rate of 2.36%, fees on gas and diesel combined would amount to $60.9 million a day and more than $1.8 billion a month if all fuel purchases were paid for with credit cards.

That total is up 24% from $49 million a day when MPC launched the tracker in early March. The increase alone amounts to nearly $12 million a day, or $360 million a month.

The swipe fees banks charge merchants to process credit card purchases are a percentage of the transaction, meaning the amount collected automatically goes up as prices rise. Not all fuel purchases are made with credit cards, but some cards carry swipe fees as high as 4%.

The rising swipe fees numbers come as Visa, Mastercard and some of the largest banks that issue cards under their brands are reporting double-digit increases in profits driven, in part, by higher swipe fees on fuel.

JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest issuer of Visa and Mastercard credit cards, reported recently that net profits for the first quarter were up 13% year over year and No. 2 card issuer Citigroup said net profits were up 42% year over year. Last week, Visa said profits were up 32% in its most recent quarter and Mastercard said its profits were up 18%.

Lucrative credit card and debit card swipe fees have already jumped 80% since the pandemic and hit a record $198.25 billion in 2025.

READ MORE

As the 2026 legislative session wraps up, you are invited to to join legislators, retailers, key business partners, and industry leaders for a casual and fun recap.

Wednesday, June 3

3:00–5:00 p.m.

Smash Park, 1721 County Rd C West, Roseville

This is a great opportunity to connect with other retail leaders and lawmakers, talk about the highs and lows of session, and share beverages and appetizers in a relaxed setting.

Please RSVP at www.mretail.org/wrapup or by emailing info@mnretail.org.

We hope to see you there to close out the session together!

REGISTER NOW