The subsidy is provided by the cardholder’s bank, but ultimately paid for by the merchant. The close link between interchange and merchant costs means that there continues to be significant focus on interchange and its implications for the distribution of costs between merchants and consumers.
And you still may be faced with unusual opportunities for growth or unexpected challenges that may require more capital. Once you repay the TARP investment, it likely will not be available again. So, please, before you make your decision, take one more unemotional run through your projections, your assumptions, and your "what-ifs," and make sure you are comfortable with your decision.