On Wednesday, Visa (NYSE: V), the payments giant, said the European Commission (EC) had opened a preliminary investigation into fees charged to retailers.
Earlier this month, Reuters had exclusively reported that EU antitrust regulators were investigating whether fees charged by card giants Visa and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) had a negative impact on retailers.
The EC informed Visa about the investigation on August 30, it said, adding that the company was cooperating with the regulator in connection with the investigation.
Last month, Mastercard also disclosed that the EC had sought documents tied to a broader investigation into alleged anti-competitive behavior in the European Union.
Visa (NYSE: V) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) have long dominated the market for payment cards and have often been subject to scrutiny and allegations of a duopoly.
Additionally, Visa said that the EC informed it on October 1 that a separate investigation into the company’s incentive agreements with clients had been closed.
