EU antitrust regulators have launched an investigation into whether the fees charged by Visa and Mastercard negatively impact retailers. An EU document seen by Reuters indicates that the European Commission is scrutinizing 'scheme fees' and their transparency.
The investigation seeks to determine if the number and types of fees, along with their continuous introduction and elimination, have adversely affected merchant operations between 2016 and 2023. Retailers have long complained about these fees, arguing they negate previous reductions from a 2015 regulation.
The Commission has sent questionnaires to retailers and payment service providers to gather feedback. This regulatory scrutiny could lead to charges of anti-competitive practices and potentially result in mandated changes to fee structures, impacting Mastercard's revenue model in the region.
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