Visa and Mastercard agree to $30 billion settlement; lowers merchant fees

Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN | 3/26/2024, 9:55 a.m.
Two of the world’s largest credit card networks, Visa and Mastercard, as well as the banks that issue cards with …

Two of the world’s largest credit card networks, Visa and Mastercard, as well as the banks that issue cards with them, agreed to settle a decadeslong antitrust case brought upon by merchants.

The settlement is set to lower swipe fees merchants pay when customers make purchases using their Visa or Mastercard by $30 billion over five years, according to a press release announcing the settlement Tuesday morning.

The settlement, which only applies to US merchants, is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2005. However, nothing is considered finalized until it receives approval from the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Even then, the case can also be appealed in what could be a lengthy battle.

Visa and Mastercard did not directly respond to CNN’s request for comment.

The rewards Visa cardholders currently receive won’t be impacted, Kim Lawrence, Visa’s North America President, said in a statement Tuesday morning. Additionally, Americans’ access to credit won’t be more restricted as a result of the settlement, she said.

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