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DOJ Probes Mastercard’s Debit Practices

By  |  April 27, 2023

Mastercard has announced that the US Justice Department is currently investigating its US debit program and its competition with other payment networks for possible antitrust violations.

The company received a civil investigative demand from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division regarding its U.S. debit program and competition with rivals. The nature of the government’s concern was not specified in the filing, reported Reuters. 

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“Mastercard is cooperating with the DOJ in connection with the CID,” the company said in the filing.

Visa in January said the Justice Department had sought documents from it about U.S. debit card practices and competition with other payment networks.

The probe, which began in early 2021, followed reports the United States was investigating whether the credit card company uses anticompetitive practices in the debit card market.