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US: AmEx antitrust suit heads to trial

By  |  May 7, 2014

The US Department of Justice scored a win in court Wednesday when a federal judge ruled its lawsuit against credit card giant American Express can head to trial.

According to reports, US District Judge Nicholas Garaufis decided Wednesday that the antitrust lawsuit can proceed. The DOJ first filed the suit in 2010 over allegations American Express forces unfair rules on merchants.

Specifically, according to reports, American Express is accused of barring retailers of offering discounts or other incentives to use methods of payment other than an American Express card. Retailers are charged every time a credit card is swiped at the register, a charge known as an interchange fee; American Express is known as having a higher fee than rivals.

In his decision, Judge Garaufis gave the case the go-ahead for trial, writing “genuine issues of material fact remain in dispute,” according to reports.

Full content: Reuters

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