Visa & Mastercard $167.5M ATM Settlement: Claims & Payouts

Eligible consumers charged fees at independent automated teller machines can now seek a portion of a proposed $167.5 million antitrust settlement involving Visa and Mastercard, resolving allegations regarding independent operator access rules.

### Money Play - For participants tracking payment processors and network operators, settlement terms involve a combined fund of $167.5 million, with Visa contributing $88.775 million and Mastercard funding $78.725 million.

## Catalyst Analysis: Antitrust Litigation & Settlement Terms

The litigation, designated as Burke v. Visa Inc., focuses on claims that Visa and Mastercard regulations limited how independent ATM operators set access fees and prevented lower-cost network routing options. Both payment networks deny liability and agreed to the settlement without an admission of wrongdoing.

The nationwide agreement covers qualifying cash withdrawal transactions made at independent ATMs across the United States and its territories between October 24, 2007, and August 14, 2026, provided the consumer's bank did not fully reimburse the access fee.

## Technical Analysis & Key Risk Watch

Individual disbursements remain variable, contingent directly on the final volume of valid claims submitted and qualifying transaction counts reported by claimants. The settlement fund also covers administrative expenses, litigation costs, and approved legal fees, leaving no fixed pre-determined payout per consumer.

Claims must be submitted online or via mail by the February 10, 2027 deadline. A final court approval hearing is scheduled for February 17, 2027, with claim distributions anticipated within six months of final approval assuming no appeals or delays.