Surcharging "slows down what happens at the point of sale, " she adds.

WSJ: Bank Fees Squeeze Retailers

Retail analysts who expect the settlement to lift the ban on surcharging caution that there could be requirements concerning how merchants can impose surcharges.

WSJ: Bank Fees Squeeze Retailers

"The first bank started surcharging in 1996 and within three years the other banks had followed, " Tracy Shelton, a lawyer for the New York Public Interest Research Group, told BBC News.

BBC: NEWS | Business | UK 'risks' US-style bank charges

"I am hoping surcharging becomes commonplace, but small firms will not lead the charge, " says Mike Schumann, owner of Traditions Classic Home Furnishings in Minneapolis, which was a plaintiff in the case.

WSJ: Visa, Mastercard Agree to $6 Billion Settlement Over Surcharges

"It's all about how fast they can get customers through the checkout counter, " says Madeline Aufseeser, a payments-industry analyst at Aite Group LLC, a financial-services research firm, who is skeptical many large merchants would try surcharging for fear of angering consumers.

WSJ: Bank Fees Squeeze Retailers