Mastercard and Visa hit by consumer card excessive fees claim on behalf of UK merchants
London – 26 October 2026: Collective claims seeking compensation for UK businesses over allegedly unlawful Mastercard and Visa consumer card fees have been filed in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), the UK’s specialist judicial body for competition cases.
The proposed class representatives are Commercial and Interregional Card Claims I and II Limited - directed in both cases by Stephen Allen – and represented by Harcus Parker and Hausfeld respectively. Mr Allen, an executive in the travel sector with over 40 years of professional experience, has a first-hand understanding of the UK’s collective proceedings regime from CICC I’s and CICC II’s existing collective proceedings against Visa and Mastercard in relation to MIFs payable on commercial card transactions.
The present claims are the first collective claims which cover all businesses for all transactions involving Mastercard and/or Visa consumer debit, credit or prepaid cards in the UK.
The claims concern multilateral interchange fees (MIFs). Mastercard and Visa set these fees, and businesses pay them through their banks every time a customer pays by card. MIFs are estimated to make up most of a typical business’s merchant service charge (MSC). The claim alleges that the fees restrict competition and that businesses have paid more as a result. Businesses that are domiciled in the UK and have an annual group turnover of less than £100 million between 2022- 2024 will be automatically included in the opt-out proceedings (brought by Hausfeld), unless they choose to opt out. Those with an annual group turnover of £100 million or more between 2022- 2024 may be eligible to join the opt-in proceedings (brought by Harcus Parker). Businesses that have previously brought or settled a claim against Visa and/or Mastercard in respect of consumer card transactions will not be able to take part in these collective proceedings.
The claim period is from 23 October 2020 to 23 October 2026 and will include interest.
This collective action will be open to all UK businesses, big and small, who accept Mastercard and Visa consumer debit, credit and prepaid cards. Many of these businesses have been particularly hard hit by the current economic and geopolitical climate.
The new collective actions are potentially worth several ££billion and would be one of the biggest competition compensation claims in UK history, showing just how much card fees affect UK businesses across the economy.
Stephen Allen, the proposed Class Representative, said:
“Every business that takes cards pays these fees, from a corner shop to a national chain. In previous cases, the Tribunal has found that these fees were unlawful, and that in almost all instances it is businesses, rather than consumers, who have suffered the losses arising from Visa’s and Mastercard’s MIFs. This claim finally gives UK businesses a chance to recover what we say they were overcharged.”
Belinda Hollway, competition litigation partner at Hausfeld, explained:
“The legal team bringing these new claims has carefully considered the recent CAT judgments in the wider interchange litigation, including this year’s pass-on ruling, and believe that they give UK businesses the best possible chance of seeking justice. Taking legal action against Mastercard and Visa in the UK courts is the best way to hold them to account for their unfair charges on businesses.”
UK businesses are invited to register their interest online at www.commercialcardclaim.co.uk.
The case is financed by a third-party litigation funder Bench Walk Advisors and is fully insured. There is no cost to businesses taking part and no cost if the case is unsuccessful.
For more information, and to help you determine whether you are eligible to claim, visit: www.commercialcardclaim.co.uk.
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Alex Just - Haldaine
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Notes to editors
About the proposed class representatives
The claims are brought by two proposed class representatives (“PCRs”), Commercial and Interregional Card Claims I Limited (“CICC I”) and Commercial and Interregional Card Claims II Limited (“CICC II”), both directed by Stephen Allen. Mr Allen is the sole director and sole shareholder of both companies. He is an executive in the travel sector with over forty years of professional business experience, including management and board-level leadership positions in publicly-quoted as well as family-owned businesses, working both in the UK and internationally. Mr Allen already has over four years of first-hand experience of the collectives regime as director of CICC I and CICC II in their existing collective proceedings against Visa and Mastercard in relation to MIFs payable on commercial card transactions.
