The top five bank holding companies have combined total credit card loan portfolios of more than $705 billion.

The potential deal between the major card networks and merchants would see swipe fees reduced and capped for at least three years, pending approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to release neutral credit card pricing data in the coming months to help consumers get the best deal, according to Director Rohit Chopra. Deceptive reward programs, late fees and data portability remain concerns, too, he says.

Banks, especially big ones, have become too dependent on hidden-fee income. As the consumer credit market evolves toward greater transparency, the CFPB's rules will be the least of their problems.

A major shake-up in the payments world, a data breach that's opened up a debate on who is ultimately responsible for cyberattacks, and uncertainty about the future of the Basel III endgame proposal are among the issues banks need to watch.

At an American Bankers Association event, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who's up for reelection this year, said that he hopes the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill won't go anywhere and criticized the Federal Reserve's debit interchange proposal.

Credit card late fees are annoying, but that's why they work as a disincentive to prevent late payments. By making them much smaller, the CFPB will actually be working against the interests of low-income consumers.