US Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Visa for Stifling Debit Card Competition

The U.S. Justice Department has initiated an antitrust litigation against Visa, alleging that the financial institution has exploited its market domination to stifle competition in the debit card sector, resulting in substantial financial losses for both consumers and businesses.

Visa is accused of penalising merchants and institutions that bypass its payment processing technology for debit transactions, despite the existence of alternatives, in a complaint lodged on Tuesday.

According to reports, Visa receives additional fees for each transaction that is executed on its network. Over $7 billion in processing fees are generated annually by Visa, which processes 60% of U.S. debit transactions, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in a statement, said, “We allege that Visa has unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market.

“Merchants and banks pass along those costs to consumers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service. As a result, Visa’s unlawful conduct affects not just the price of one thing but the price of nearly everything.”

The Justice Department accused Visa of stifling competition by funding partnership agreements with potential competitors. In 2020, the DOJ filed a lawsuit to prevent Visa’s acquisition of fintech startup Plaid for $5.3 billion. It characterised the acquisition as a monopolistic endeavour to eradicate a competitor to Visa’s extensive payments network. Ultimately, the acquisition was decided to be abandoned. Visa disclosed in a regulatory filing in 2021 that it was collaborating with the DOJ in an investigation into its debit practices.

Frances Ibiefo

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