MasterCard and Visa

We are investigating the interchange fees set by MasterCard and Visa under the Competition Act 1998 and Article 81 of the EC Treaty.

For more information on the current investigation, please see:

Press Release 97/06 (20 June 2006)

Press release 20/07 (9 February 2007)

Information relating to our previous investigations into MasterCard and Visa.

Mastercard

Decision on MasterCard UK Members Forum Limited (2005)

Statement of Objections issued against MasterCard (2004)

Our proposal to find that MasterCard agreement does not comply with competition law (2003)

Our statement at the start of the original investigation (2001).

Visa

Statement of objections (2005)

European Commission's work into interchange fees

The European Commission is also investigating the interchange fees set by MasterCard. The European Commission issued a supplementary statement of objections against MasterCard (2006).

The European Commission also made an earlier decision into Visa’s interchange fee arrangements (2002).

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