Weekly News Update

Payments News Update – June 25, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Federal Reserve Board Extends Comment Period on Proposed Changes to Regulation II Federal Reserve Board – June 22, 2021 (click here for the Board's Federal Register notice) The Federal Reserve Board announced on Tuesday that it will extend until August 11, 2021, the comment period for its proposed changes to Regulation II (Debit Card Interchange Fees and Routing)...

Payments News Update – June 18, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Lina Khan, Prominent Big Tech Critic, Will Lead the FTC NPR – June 15, 2021 President Joe Biden has named Lina Khan as the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, giving the regulatory authority's top spot to one of Silicon Valley's most prominent critics. The surprise move elevating Khan to one of the most powerful regulatory positions in Washington was...

Payments News Update – June 11, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: A Surcharging Bill Advances to the Colorado Governor’s Desk Digital Transactions News – June 9, 2021 Soon, there might be just two states that prohibit credit card surcharging with the passage Tuesday of a bill in Colorado that would permit the pricing strategy. The bill, SB21-091, passed both the Colorado House and Senate and now moves to Governor Jared...

Payments News Update – May 27, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: European Commission Plans to Hit Facebook With Official Antitrust Probe PYMNTS – May 26, 2021 The European Commission (EC) is launching an official investigation into allegations that Facebook engaged in anti-competitive behaviors, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday (May 26). The EC is also doing a deep dive to get a sense of Facebook’s classified...

Payments News Update – May 14, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: A Fed Report on Debit Costs Could Fuel a Movement to Reduce a Decade-Old Fee Cap Digital Transactions News – May 10, 2021 Pressure may be building on the Federal Reserve to take action on a debit card interchange-fee regulation that it has left intact for 10 years despite sweeping changes in the payments business, including an onrush of e-commerce transactions over...

Payments News Update – May 6, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Retail Organizations Sue Fed Over Debit Law Enforcement Retail Dive – April 30, 2021 Two retail associations sued the Federal Reserve Board of Governors April 29 over what they claim is a failure by the federal agency to properly enforce a federal law that caps the fees that can be charged on debit transactions. The North Dakota Retail Association and the North...

Payments News Update – April 29, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Visa, Mastercard Face Biggest Challenges in a Decade Banking Dive – April 22, 2021 Regulatory, legislative and court confrontations over the card networks' fees are ratcheting up pressure again for reform of the behemoths' practices. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin was riled up when he leaned into his microphone to speak last month at an antitrust subcommittee...

Payments News Update – April 22, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: At Congressional Hearing, Panelists Question Why Crypto and Fintech Firms Need Bank Licenses The Block – April 15, 2021 Congress collected feedback from legal minds on how fintech firms may use or abuse banking licenses. The hearing, entitled “Banking Innovation or Regulatory Evasion? Exploring Trends in Financial Institution Charters,” included former...

Payments News Update – April 16, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Insider's Report On Payments: Interchange in the Crosshairs The Green Sheet – April 12, 2021 The major card brands are on the hot seat. Under pressure from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,Visa and Mastercard postponed for a year interchange rate changes that were slated for April 2021. This followed news that the financial software giant Intuit is suing the two brands in...

Payments News Update – April 1, 2021

Legal and Regulatory Developments SPOTLIGHT: Retail Groups Seek to Protect Merchants in Ongoing Swipe Fee Litigation Chain Store Age – March 31, 2021 The nation’s two largest retail trade are objecting to the scope of proposed class-action swipe fee litigation. The Retail Industry Leaders Association and the National Retail Federation are asking to intervene in longstanding multidistrict class action...