Senate goes medieval on Web loyalty programs, monthly fees

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If you buy items on the Web, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a popup screen after making a purchase that offers you a cash back reward on future purchases. “Cash back! On future purchases! Awesome!” you think, clicking the “yes” button and entering an e-mail address. “After all, companies can’t sign me up for any kind of mysterious recurring charges with an e-mail address, right?” Wrong—thousands of people have seen charges of $9-12 show up on credit cards every month after clicking on such links.