> In Europe, fees are limited to
  > far below that, and the 
  > European debit cards are
  > limited to below 1% in fees.

I have frequently seen this claim made (that European credit card fees are low), then when I go and investigate it, I discover the source is referring to Europeans limits on interchange fees, not the merchant fees which dominate the cost of accepting credit cards.

In the end, I always find the costs are broadly similar in the EU and the US.