Visa and Mastercard announced a revised settlement with merchants over accusations of overcharging for credit card acceptance, following a judge’s rejection of a previous $30 billion deal.
The 20-year litigation alleged that the card networks and banks conspired to violate U.S. antitrust laws through “swipe fees” for processing transactions.
Under the new accord, Visa and Mastercard would lower swipe fees by 0.1 percentage points for five years, with standard consumer card rates capped at 1.25%.
Merchants would gain more flexibility, including the ability to selectively accept certain cards and impose surcharges on credit card payments, CNBC has reported.
Both companies emphasized benefits for merchants and consumers but did not admit any wrongdoing.
