Get a payout from Mastercard – even if you never had one!

Payouts are in the pipeline following a group lawsuit against Mastercard which was just settled out of court for £200 million. 

Millions of people may be due up to £70 from Mastercard – even if they never even had one. 

While you can’t claim just yet, we want you to be prepared. Read on to find out who might be eligible, how it will work, and when you could see some cash back in your pocket. 

What’s the Mastercard claim all about?

The claim against Mastercard is related to interchange fees. 

Whenever you buy something with a debit or credit card, there is a complex process to get your money to the shop’s bank. Companies like Visa and Mastercard are part of this process. They act as middlemen between you, your bank, the shop – handling the tech and keeping payments fast and secure. For these network services, Mastercard will take a small cut for every transaction.

In this legal case, the claim against Mastercard said that the fees they were taking were too high, making it more expensive for shops to accept card payments. The shops passed those costs on to customers by charging higher prices – which means that even people without a Mastercard might have paid more because of it.

The tribunal ruled that customers were charged higher prices after fees were wrongly levied on transactions between 1992 and 2008, and should be paid compensation.

Who can claim?

Because of the nature of the precedent set, you will have to meet all of the following to make a claim:

1. You lived in the UK for at least three months in a row between 1997 and 2008. For England, Northern Ireland, and Wales, that’s between June 20, 1997, and June 21, 2008. Because they have slightly different rules about how long claims can be made, for Scotland, it’s a bit longer—from May 22, 1992, to June 21, 2008. 

1. You were 16 or older during those three months. (Those born on or after March 22, 1992 can’t claim.)

1. During this period, you purchased goods or services from a UK seller—no matter how you paid. (This is why, even if you never had a Mastercard, you could still be eligible)!

1. You were living in the UK on September 6, 2016 — the day the claim was filed in court.

1. You haven’t already opted out of the case. Everyone who qualified was automatically included unless they actively said no – so if you’ve never heard about the case before, that;s a good sign that you have not opted out. 

You can’t claim yet — but here’s what to expect

We expect that an online claim portal will be opening soon which will have an online form you’ll need to fill in. 

It should be a quick and efficient process – and it’s unlikely that you’ll have to provide a lot of documentation – like proof of old purchases, receipts or bank statements. 

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