> The idea being the business should try and meet the customer's needs.
But they're choosing their customers with this action. If you can't buy stuff from them, you are not a customer.
> For most of the fifty years since Visa started businesses have been expected to take credit cards, even though they cost more to process for all that time.
Because those were the customers who were spending the money. They didn't have to, they chose to. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that fast food establishments refused to take them. That is a recent change.
What's the benefit of inserting the middlemen?
Businesses do want to insert middlemen where they can externalise something else. Either to move another cost or process to the customer or to reduce staff. We've seen the near abolition of customer service by adopting customer service departments that move the activity onto dedicated, and lowly paid staff or outsourced entirely.
For most of the fifty years since Visa started businesses have been expected to take credit cards, even though they cost more to process for all that time. In the UK business could not charge extra for taking cards. The second cash costs more it's OK to abandon it and go Visa/MC only?
Yes, it seems they do want to insert middlemen. Visa of course are encouraging this.