This is the new MLex platform. Existing customers should continue to use the existing MLex platform until migrated.
For any queries, please contact Customer Services or your Account Manager. Dismiss

Mastercard used merchant agreements to block least-cost routing, Australian court hears

By Saloni Sinha ( April 13, 2026, 08:49 GMT | Insight) -- Mastercard leveraged its role in four-party payment card schemes to structure pricing and contractual arrangements to suppress emerging competitive threats, an Australian court heard Monday, on the first day of an eight-week Federal Court antitrust trial. Lawyer for the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, John Sheahan, said Mastercard used Strategic Merchant Agreements to prevent retailers from accessing least-cost routing.Mastercard leveraged its role in four-party payment card schemes to structure pricing and contractual arrangements to suppress emerging competitive threats, an Australian court heard on Monday....

Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today

MLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term.


Know what others in the room don’t, with features including:

  • Daily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more
  • Custom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs
  • Predictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific
  • Curated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline

Experience MLex today with a 14-day free trial.

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber? Click here to login

Related Sections