[Nextgrid]

But I’d rather pay a small tax across everything rather than get stuffed for a much bigger amount.

Ideally, we’d have technical means to prevent people from getting stuffed (the oAuth-style token system I’ve described in other comments on this thread), combined with legal means to ensure businesses are discouraged from doing the stuffing in the first place (and those who do are promptly sued out of existence).

Until this happens, consumers (including me) will keep using chargebacks as their only way to defend their interests.

Also, if we were to magically rewrite the system tomorrow and eliminate card fees and the potential for chargebacks, do you really think businesses worldwide will suddenly lower their prices as a result? The market already demonstrated it is willing to pay the current prices, so the savings from lack of fees/chargebacks will end up in executives’ yachts instead or pissed away in more advertising.