Thank you.
In our sector, since credit cards are really the way we operate, we tried to meet with the Visa people, but through our acquirer. We wanted to explain to them that, in the current situation, our entire operating method was affected and that this represented thousands of dollars in costs. Those people were very polite, but it was very brief. The whole thing led to a dead end. The message boils down to this: there are costs, increases, and we have to bear them. No discussion was possible.
In our sector, a number of associations or brands have agreements. We can't determine how one establishment whose sales are higher than those of another can have higher costs. We're trying to link that to the type of transaction, but we can't really establish a framework that enables us to understand the principle. We also find it hard to understand why, for a $150 hotel transaction, it can cost as much as 60¢ more for a premium card than an individual card. There's no loan. It's the same amount and the same type of transaction. There's no more handling. You don't swipe the card twice. However, there are fees, and these people have no explanation for us on that subject. We can only accept the situation. It's hard for us to pass the cost onto consumers. Indeed, as a result of the economic crisis, tight competition among hotels is making us lower prices. This summer, the situation will be tough for the tourism industry. We won't be able to increase rates indefinitely.