Mastercard and Visa face a new collective action lawsuit in the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal. A group of businesses filed the claim, alleging the card networks' multilateral interchange fees, or 'swipe fees,' violate competition law. They contend these fees resulted in billions of pounds in merchant overcharges.
The new suit extends a long-running legal battle for the payment giants in the UK. Mastercard already appeals a June 2025 tribunal ruling. That ruling found its interchange fees anti-competitive. These legal challenges contend the fees are set at an unlawfully high level. This creates a significant cost, which consumers ultimately bear through higher prices for goods and services.