Kate Hawkesby: Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi goes into bat for consumers on credit card fees

One of the ministers nailing his new job, in my humble opinion, is Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi.

He got onto the Takata airbag recall, he's talking butt kicking for wheel clampers, and now we hear the news he's on to Visa and Mastercard over their fees.

If they hike their fees he warns, they'll face Australian and UK-style legislation to cap them. Threatening to regulate is always a strong stance by governments - and effective in serving an upper cut to business, while reassuring the consumer that someone's in their corner.

Faafoi wants to see the cost of payments to be "fairly" shared between New Zealand business and consumers, which he doesn't think is currently happening.

So, he says, if he sees those fees move north, then regulating them is an option on the table. Effectively what he's doing is putting credit card companies on notice.

He also warned the payments industry that eftpos needed to remain in place, so that merchants retain choice over what form of payment they accept.

This all came about of course due to the rising cost of accepting payments, which ignited concerns it's driving up retail prices.

The losers when this happens, along with the customer, is of course the small business operators. They end up having to pay more to accept credit cards, which is a big inconvenience for our increasingly cash-less society and plastic carrying consumers.

Credit card companies are trying to make improvements of course - but perhaps not trying hard enough.

A project is underway to create a set of rules, standards and protocols that can help people to better manage their money via app-based businesses.

But Faafoi wants to see an acceleration on the progress being made: "in-store" payment options that are not credit or debit card-based, and the cost of accepting electronic payments drop for retailers.

What I like about Kris Faafoi is that he manages to fire these broadsides at businesses without personal attacks or bully boy tactics. He's grabbed his portfolio and is running with it, making a lot of noise, by being a voice for the little guys: the consumers, the small business operators.

He's doing it without the loose lines and the throwaway insults that Shane Jones employs.

So although he may not always make the front page, he is quietly reassuring us mere mortal consumers, that he has our back. And that's a good thing.