Yeah, a lot of people are talking about how this Discover Capital One merger credit card deal could actually make things harder for small businesses. I read that lawmakers like Maxine Waters and Elizabeth Warren are already complaining about it. Their main beef is that with Capital One now being the biggest credit card company in the U.S., they might have too much power to decide how much stores and little businesses pay every time you swipe your card.

I've seen this with some local shops near me — if the card companies raise their "swipe fees," it's not a big deal for huge chains, but the small coffee shops and bookstores have to eat those costs. Some people worry that if Capital One and Discover are combined, they could kinda bully smaller companies into taking whatever rates they want, since there are just fewer options out there.

I'm not saying that's definitely going to happen, but it makes sense to be suspicious when one player gets really huge. Less competition can sometimes mean worse deals for everyone except the big dogs. I think it's still early, and regulators are watching, but yeah, I see why people are nervous about this.