Visa, Mastercard Get Approval of $198 Million Deal in ATM Case

Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. gained final approval Monday of a $197.5 million settlement with consumers who accused the card companies of inflating fees at ATMs.

Judge Richard J. Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia approved the deal and awarded $49.4 million in attorneys’ fees, below the nearly $60 million—representing 30% of the overall total—that the plaintiffs’ attorneys sought.

The settlement puts an end to litigation stretching to when the card companies were sued in 2011—Visa and Mastercard were accused of making an illegal deal to raise and fix ATM fees at artificially high prices and restrain competition.

The antitrust suit is among several aimed at the card companies, including litigation brought by merchants who challenged Visa and Mastercard rules covering swipe fees.

Leon in July granted preliminary approval. Visa and Mastercard agreed to the settlement in May after the Supreme Court denied their bid to review class certification in the case.

Visa and Mastercard own and operate networks that allow consumers to withdraw cash from their bank accounts using ATMs.

The plaintiffs are represented by firms including Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, and Mehri & Skalet PLLC. Visa is represented by Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. Mastercard is represented by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

The case is Bartron v. Visa Inc., D.D.C., No. 1:11-cv-01831, final approval 6/23/25.