U.K. merchant group sues Visa, Mastercard over interchange fees

A group of U.K. merchants has joined a lawsuit against Visa and Mastercard seeking damages over interchange fees the card networks levied on credit and debit transactions.

The London-based law firm Humphries Kerstetter, which won settlements on interchange claims by supermarket giant Tesco with Mastercard in 2015 and Visa in 2016, initiated the legal challenge on behalf of 27 U.K. retailers, according to reports.

The suit seeks about £300 million (US$390 million) in damages on behalf of retailers and restaurants.

Nearly a year ago Sainsbury’s, a major U.K. supermarket chain, won substantial damages from Mastercard in a separate lawsuit over interchange fees.