The government’s lawsuit to block Visa Inc.'s $5.3 billion acquisition of Plaid Inc. contains language that could stir expectations of possibly stronger actions against the credit card giant.
The case, filed Nov. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, only seeks to block Visa’s proposed deal to buy the fintech developer, known for its software used for linking apps to users’ bank accounts. But the complaint also details Visa’s “long history” of trying to stop other emerging rivals, including PayPal Holdings Inc., from expanding into the online debt market.
The deal “fits within an established ...