While MasterCard is, of course, disappointed by U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson's ruling denying our motion for summary judgment, we are pleased that he has denied plaintiffs' claims that MasterCard's Honor All Cards rule is per se illegal.
Judge Gleeson's ruling will allow MasterCard to introduce evidence at trial that will make it clear that neither plaintiffs' tying claim, nor their claim that we have conspired with Visa to monopolize the so-called debit market can be supported by fact, or the realities of today's marketplace.
The Honor All Cards rule has resulted in American consumers having the broadest range of payment choices in the world. We're confident that once the jury has evaluated all the evidence, it will uphold this pro-competitive rule, and protect this critically important consumer benefit."
The Wal-Mart antitrust suit against MasterCard and Visa is scheduled to go to trial on April 28 in Brooklyn, NY.