MasterCard International said that courts in nine states have dismissed consumer class action suits against it. The lawsuits had been filed following the separate merchant class action suit, which MasterCard and VISA lost, filed over the issue of interchange fees.
The lawsuits that were dismissed were brought on behalf of consumers claiming to have been injured by MasterCard's conduct. The courts ruled that the plaintiffs did not have a legally recognizable claim, and that they lacked standing to bring these cases. Courts also found that the damages sought were abstract and speculative.
Dismissed were lawsuits filed in New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Separate lawsuits remain in California and Tennessee, with MasterCard saying it remains encouraged because courts in those states have narrowed the claims.
