VISA, MASTERCARD SETTLE LONG-RUNNING ANTITRUST SUIT OVER SWIPE FEES WITH MERCHANTS

Visa and Mastercard announced a major settlement with U.S. merchants on Tuesday, potentially ending nearly two decades of litigation over the fees charged every time a credit or debit card is used in a store or restaurant.

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The deal would lower and cap the fees charged by Visa and Mastercard and allow small businesses to collectively bargain for rates with the payment processors in a similar way that the large merchants do on their own now.

Industry groups for retailers both small and large said the settlement is a positive development, but far more needs to be done to remedy the current swipe-fee situation. They noted that the lowered fees would be only for a limited period of time-three to five years - after which the fees would return to their current levels.

"While this settlement is a step in the right direction and will provide a limited amount of short-term relief to small businesses, it does not solve the long-term anti-competitive rate-setting practices that are the root of this problem," said Jeff Brabant, vice president of federal government relations at the National Federation of Independent Business, a smallbusiness advocacy group.