Antitrust Group

Payments News Update – September 27, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: U.S. Accuses Visa of Monopoly in Debit Cards The New York Times – September 24, 2024 (subscription may be required) The Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa on Tuesday, accusing the financial giant of unfairly stifling competition in debit cards, the latest in a string of cases aimed at deterring monopolistic behavior by big companies. For...

Payments News Update – September 20, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: The Electronic Payments Coalition Weighs in on a Lawsuit Challenging Illinois’s Interchange Law Digital Transactions News – September 19, 2024 The Electronic Payments Coalition late Wednesday filed an Amicus brief on behalf of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the Illinois Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. The lawsuit, brought by Illinois Bankers...

Payments News Update – September 13, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Banks Push for Quick End to Illinois Law Reducing Credit-Card Processing Fees Crain's Chicago Business – September 3, 2024 (subscription may be required) Lawyers representing bank and credit union trade groups argued Tuesday for a quick ruling in a lawsuit seeking to strike down enforcement of a new Illinois law that reduces the fees retailers pay credit-card...

Payments News Update – September 6, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Maryland Gets Tough on BNPL Payments Dive – September 3, 2024 Zip and Four Technologies revamped their buy now, pay later strategies in Maryland after the state cited them for operating without the correct licenses. In May, the state fined Four Technologies for offering BNPL services in violation of the state’s lending laws. And the Australian BNPL company Zip...

Payments News Update – August 30, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: CFPB Seeks Developers’ Comments on Apple’s Rules on Tap-to-Pay Access PYMNTS – August 28, 2024 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is seeking public comment on Apple’s recently announced rules governing how financial companies and app developers offer tap-to-pay functionality on its devices. “The CFPB is working to better understand further...

Payments News Update – August 23, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: BNPL Providers Won’t Face Penalties During Transition to New CFPB Rule Payments Dive – August 20, 2024 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday announced that the agency will not fine buy now, pay later providers while they prepare to work under a new interpretive rule that treats them like credit card providers. The bureau “does not intend to seek...

Payments News Update – August 16, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Merchants Get Another Extension to File Claims in Their Class Action Against Visa and Mastercard Digital Transactions News – August 14, 2024 Merchants were granted a second extension late Tuesday for filing claims against Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. in their ongoing class-action lawsuit against the two networks over interchange costs. U.S. District Court Judge...

Payments News Update – August 9, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: 6 Swipe Fee Plaintiffs 'Arbitrarily' Picked for 2025 Trial Law360 – August 7, 2024 (subscription required) Six retailers including department store giant Target will go to trial in 2025 on claims that Visa and Mastercard overcharged them, a Manhattan federal judge said Wednesday, explaining that he arbitrarily chose from among 60 plaintiffs in a long-running,...

Payments News Update – August 2, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: BNPL Regulation Debate Heats Up as Comment Period Closes PYMNTS – July 31, 2024 Klarna argues for a bespoke regulatory framework, while AARP supports the rule, emphasizing the need for consumer protections as buy now, pay later (BNPL) usage grows among older Americans. Time has expired for companies looking to comment on the Consumer Financial Protection...

Payments News Update – July 26, 2024

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: BNPL Firms Ask for 5 More Months to Prepare for CFPB Rules PYMNTS – July 17, 2024 The end of the month is speeding toward the buy now, pay later (BNPL) industry — and with it, new rules and regulations regarding consumer disputes and new operational burdens in the drive toward compliance. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) rule classifying...