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Coles feared retaliation from Mastercard, executive tells Australian court

By Saloni Sinha ( April 21, 2026, 08:17 GMT | Insight) -- Australia’s Coles chose not to route Mastercard debit transactions through cheaper Eftpos network despite potential savings because its deal with Mastercard was stronger and the retailer feared retaliation, its payments chief told an ongoing antitrust trial. In a Federal Court hearing on Tuesday, Australian grocery retailer Coles’ payments head Shane Harris said Mastercard agreement was “better… in the whole” and Coles was concerned about “what the [payment] schemes may do if it implemented least-cost routing,” including the possible loss of additional benefits.Australia’s Coles chose not to route Mastercard debit transactions through cheaper Eftpos network despite potential savings because its deal with Mastercard was stronger and the retailer feared retaliation, its payments chief told an ongoing antitrust trial....

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