Case Reference: MasterCard: CE/6345/05; Visa: CE/4500/04
Start date: MasterCard: December 2005; Visa: May 2004
Next milestone: The judgment of the European General Court.
The OFT is investigating, under the Competition Act 1998 and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the interchange fee arrangements for UK domestic point-of-sale transactions made using MasterCard/Maestro and Visa consumer payment cards.
The UK Government intervened in support of the European Commission before the General Court in the appeal proceedings brought by MasterCard against the decision of the European Commission regarding MasterCard's, including Maestro's, intra-European cross-border interchange fee arrangements. The General Court hearing was held on 8 July 2011. The OFT expects to decide on the way forward in its investigations after the General Court judgment.
For more information on the current investigations, please see:
MasterCard
Visa
MasterCard
See the European Commission's website on case COMP/34.579
The European Commission issued an infringement decision against MasterCard on 19 December 2007. This decision has been appealed by MasterCard. On 1 April 2009, the European Commission announced that it had agreed an interim settlement with MasterCard pending the judgment of the General Court. The General Court hearing was held on 8 July 2011.
Visa
See the European Commission's website on cases COMP/29.373 and COMP/39.398.
On 24 July 2002, the European Commission made an exemption decision on Visa's intra-European cross-border interchange fee arrangements which came to an end on 31 December 2007.
On 6 March 2008 the European Commission launched a new investigation and on 3 April 2009 issued a statement of objections against Visa.
On 26 April 2010, the European Commission announced that it had reached an agreement with Visa on immediate debit cards, which it formalised into a commitments decision on 8 December 2010.
Dan Rawling (020 7211 8481, dan.rawling@oft.gsi.gov.uk)
Claire Hart (020 7211 8782, claire.hart@oft.gsi.gov.uk)
Clive Maxwell (020 7211 8950, clive.maxwell@oft.gsi.gov.uk)
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