20 to 50 years ago, if you wanted to go to a movie, you went to the movie theater and there was a kid there who was paid by the theater who sold you a ticket. Just ONE extra person involved in the transaction.

NOW, if you want to buy a ticket, you go to Fandango (and pay a surcharge) and then use Paypal (who charges a fee), who then pays the theater. LOTS of extra people, all adding a little bit more to the cost of everything.

You go to the Hospital.... there are way way way more people involved in that than just you and doctor. As other have pointed out ... if you say to the doctor, "Cash only, simple transaction, just you and me and that one nurse" then the cost is $150, but if the hospital billing people, and the insurance, and the credit card, and the doctors billing people and a half dozen other behind the scenes people are involved, then it's $1000.

You want to buy a CAR? You have the sales man, the TTL guy, the extended warranty upsales guy, the service guy who installed those floor mats that they upcharged you for (why aren't floor mats standard any more), and a surcharge for the first full tank of gas!!

You want to donate money to a nice principal in Kansas that you heard about on ESPN during the game.... there is a middle man who skims 6% off the top.

Everywhere you go now, nearly every transaction, there is SOMEONE who makes their living off skimming just a little bit off every transaction. BUT all that adds up.

The local barber I sometimes go to ... Big sign that says the Credit card company charges for each transaction are a sizable part of his profit, so CASH is one price (just me and him in the transaction) and Credit Card is another price, higher, to cover the costs the credit card company charges him (a transaction with a few extra layers).

Oh course, the WORST offender in this is the Government, which puts some fee or charge or paperwork or tax or permit into every transaction.

BUT overall, toooo many people whose living comes from taking a percentage out of every transaction.

Interesting to see the backlash against the Real Estate Agents and the 6% or more they take out of every transaction.