Imagine if you had to pay a 44 cent fee on every financial transaction you made, whether that transaction was $1.00 or $100. For years, that's been the reality of business owners both big and small who accept debit cards as a form of payment at their stores. Forty-four cents was the average "interchange" fee card-issuing banks charged merchants per debit card transaction in 2009.

While the fee hasn't been too tough to swallow for large businesses where customers generally spend hundreds of dollars per transaction, it has nearly strangled small businesses where amount per transaction tends to be low. Many businesses have passed these fees on to consumers in the form of higher product prices, and some have set minimum purchase requirements for debit card use.

Now there is a bill before Congress that would limit those interchange fees to around 12 cents per transaction, allowing businesses to lower their costs and save consumers money. A vote on the bill is expected soon.