(27 June 2025 – United Kingdom) The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal has unanimously found that Visa and Mastercard’s multilateral interchange fees – the charges levied on retailers when customers pay by card – violate European competition law.
The judgment is the latest development in a long-running legal battle between merchants and the two US-based payments giants.
David Scott, global managing partner at law firm Scott+Scott, which represented the claimants, said the outcome is “a significant win for all merchants who have been paying excessive interchange fees to Visa and Mastercard”.
Both companies have stated their intent to challenge the ruling. A Mastercard spokesperson commented: “Mastercard strongly disagrees with today’s decision, which is deeply flawed, and will seek permission to appeal.”