Banks and stores spar on debit-fee caps

ATLANTA -- Tim OConnells debit card, as well as yours, is ground zero in a battle between banks and stores. A new law that went into effect in October changed what retailers pay the biggest banks those with more than $10 billion in assets for processing debit-card purchases. It used to be that stores paid 1.5 percent of a sales total, or an average of 44 cents per sale. Now its a flat rate, capped at 21 cents. Store owners who pushed for the new law said at the time the limit would save shoppers money. And