Visa and Mastercard Agree to $167.5 Million ATM Fee Settlement

Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. have agreed to a $167.5 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit, Burke v. Visa Inc., et al. The lawsuit alleged the two payment networks violated antitrust laws by operating a "price fixing scheme across all ATMs," which prohibited independent ATM operators in locations like gas stations, hotels, and convenience stores from lowering their withdrawal fees.

Under the terms of the agreement, Visa will contribute approximately $88.8 million and Mastercard will contribute approximately $78.7 million to the settlement fund. The companies deny any wrongdoing but agreed to the payout to resolve claims that their restrictions forced cardholders to pay higher access fees.

Eligible claimants include consumers who paid unreimbursed access fees at non-bank ATMs between October 24, 2007, and August 14, 2026. Individuals must file a claim by February 10, 2027, to receive reimbursement. A final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for February 17, 2027, after which individual payment amounts will be determined based on the total number of eligible claims and the deduction of attorney fees.