The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an antitrust lawsuit against payment giant Visa, accusing it of monopolizing debit card payments.
A complaint filed in a federal court in New York on September 24 alleges that Visa uses exclusive agreements and threats of penalties against suppliers to prevent competitors from encroaching on its market share. Visa reportedly has a 60% market share in U.S. debit card transactions and earns $7 billion in transaction fees alone.
The complaint also alleges that Visa uses its market size and corporate holdings to attract potential competitors to form partnerships. This would purportedly be consistent with the DOJ's allegations that Visa's practices lead to higher prices for consumers even when alternatives enter the market. (Cointelegraph)