Minnesota Twins and other local companies sue Visa and MasterCard

The Minnesota Twins are joining with car dealerships, a jeweler, and a restaurant chain in Minnesota to sue Visa and MasterCard over swipe fees.

Every time a customer pays for something with a credit card, the proprietor of the business has to pay a cut of the transaction to banks and credit card companies. Merchants say the policy is too costly and too restrictive.

A judge approved a $5.7 billion settlement this past December in a class action suit brought by thousands of companies against Visa and Mastercard, but many merchants opted out of it because they thought the damages awarded were too small.

The Minnesota Twins, Granite City Food and Brewery, and several other companies with operations in the state were among those that opted out. Target did, too, but it's not part of the Twins' lawsuit.

Attorney Vince Esades, who is representing the plaintiffs, said the dollar amount of damages sought has not yet been set.

"The crux of the complaint is you're not allowed to tell customers that if they pay with a visa card the merchant will pay 2.5 percentage points more than if they use cash or debit," said Esades. "That amount ultimately has to get built into the profit of the company and ultimately costs consumers more across the board."

Visa and MasterCard could not be reached immediately for comment.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.