I am just giving you examples that the merchants DO NOT pass along the savings to the consumers as they claimed when lobbying to get the ability to add the CC surcharges.

The world indeed is much bigger than USA, but the total CC owners per population, the world is at a much lower % than in US - that is why the US merchants dont have the pull to add the CC transaction fee to each transaction - if they do, not only the customers would revoke, the banks, too. Therefore only gas stations practice this but only a few brands. Most remain the same, whether cash or CC payment, it is the same price. The only place I can see cash payment gains a lot more discount is in California at Arco stations, Atlantic Richfield The drawback is, they dont allow pay at the pump! And this is a practice for many many years long before any legislation. Customers value the cash discount, obviously are willing to accept the inconvenience to go inside to pay. I haven't in Cali for several years, so no idea if this long standing practice has changed or not.

What I am trying to convey is, how the market behaves is largely determined by how competitive a market is.

You got to realize, however the CC fee structures a country has, is completely the result of the market of said country - the US credit card industry is very very competitive, and the ownership of cards is ridiculously large number due to a lot of people own several cards and a family owning a doz credit cards among family members is nothing unusual. Given such highly competitive environment, the US merchants do not dare to take the legislation to charge surcharge - for if they do, they would lose far more customers than they gain back from those who care about the 2 to 3% difference.

That is also another reasons why CC sign up bonuses are so generous in US, multiple CCs have Zero forex fee, and earning on spend is so much better - that is comparing to cards issued by German banks, Australian banks, even Hong Kong banks - I have friends in all those places, who own CCs. Those markets are far less competitive than US, due to the very simple fact - the ownership of CCs is much smaller.

Marriott or any other chains have no power to make their property owners to waive credit card surcharge - who is going to eat the difference? Therefore it is up to you, the customer, to decide whether you would pay with CC with an additional 3% surcharge, in exchange for the convenience. Or, pay cash to save the 3% and accept the inconvenience to carry cash, or to withdraw local currency when you travel to Canada. It really is Plain and Simple.

You could argue with the rental car companies that since CC is the only form of payment, they should not charge surcharge... I wish you success on that. BTW, rental car companies do accept cash payment, at the time of returning the car. You definitely can inquire this possibility.

As for your opinion of tell the banks to cap the fee? This has already been done, back in 2008 or 2009 - to cap the transaction fee on Debit Cards. You know what happened then? Banks immediately experimented on levy an annual fee on Debit Card! When that was stopped by lots of outcry (because debit cards mostly are used by lower income people), banks then start finding ways to raise all sort of monthly fees - the outcome of that is essentially free banking is a thing of past. Now you either keep an amount in the account to meet the minimum to waive the monthly maintenance fee, or to pay a monthly maintenance fee. Even NO Teller Access accounts that were experimented for a while as no fee accounts, did NOT survive. Eventually such accounts also subject to monthly maintenance fee.

That is why I am saying, the operation costs are paid one way or the other. Whatever the Banks charge less, the merchants do NOT pass to the consumer of the saving while the banks actually due to the loss of revenues, would look for other ways to make up the losses - so you have the elimination of no or low monthly minimum balances accounts or the Senior accounts. Chase for example, does not offer Senior checking. It also promptly discontinued the Continental Debit Cards within weeks after Congress capped the transaction fee on Debit Cards.

The thought of "better way" is truly a very naive one. Sorry to say that.

Since we are on the topic of CC rebates - Canada actually has credit cards that earn 3% cash rebate on everything. My BIL has one of such card. US so far does not have any card that earns 3% rebate. 2%? Yes, there are a few of them out there.