From early 1980s until the early 1990s, American Express offered merchants and restaurants a discount if they accepted only American Express and no other credit or charge cards. However, in 1991, several restaurants in Boston started accepting Visa and MasterCards, even encouraging their customers to use them. These cards had a much lower fee than American Express fees, which at the time charged 4% for each transaction. Some restaurants even stopped accepting American Express cards. This revolt was called the “Boston Fee Party” (a pun on the name “Boston Tea Party”). In the end American Express decided to reduce their charges.