A U.S. federal judge on Friday approved an estimated $5.7 billion class action settlement between merchants and Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. over credit card fees despite objections from thousands of retailers who complained it was inadequate.
美國聯(lián)邦法官13日批準(zhǔn)信用卡公司維薩、萬事達(dá)支付57億美元以了結(jié)其與商戶就信用卡交易費引起的集體訴訟案。不過，仍有數(shù)千家零售商控訴該協(xié)議結(jié)果，表示不滿。(路透社)
The agreement—billed as the largest settlement of an antitrust case—was reached in 2012 to end years of litigation against payments networks Visa and MasterCard as well as several banks that issue their credit cards. Merchants and their trade groups sued the companies in 2005，alleging they conspired to set so-called interchange fees at unfairly high levels.
這宗史上最大反壟斷和解案件在2012年達(dá)成和解協(xié)議，以了結(jié)多年來針對支付公司維薩、萬事達(dá)以及多家發(fā)行信用卡的銀行的訴訟。商戶及其貿(mào)易團(tuán)體在2005年對這些公司提起訴訟，指控其互相勾結(jié)，聯(lián)合制定虛高的交易費。(《華爾街日報》)
The settlement provides for cash payments to merchants nationwide and lets them begin charging customers an extra fee when they use Visa or MasterCard credit cards.
這一協(xié)議將向全國商戶以現(xiàn)金方式支付和解金，并讓商戶開始向使用維薩或萬事達(dá)信用卡的顧客征收額外刷卡費用。(路透社)
For the credit card companies，the approval of the settlement will allow them to cast aside a tremendous legal headache. Yet it is not enough to quell the anger of retailers，who say the agreement does not prevent the credit card giants from imposing higher fees with impunity.
對信用卡公司來說，此項和解協(xié)議的批準(zhǔn)將使他們擺脫一項令人頭痛的大型法律糾紛。不過，這項協(xié)議不足以平息零售商的憤怒。他們表示，這項協(xié)議并沒有阻止信用卡巨頭強行征收更高額費用而不受懲罰。(《華盛頓郵報》)
Merchants have argued that they have limited power to negotiate the amount of the fees，which cost them and their customers about $30 billion a year，according to the National Retail Federation. They have also accused credit card companies of barring them from steering shoppers to cheaper forms of payment.
商戶表示，他們參與協(xié)商交易費額度的力量有限，而根據(jù)全美零售商聯(lián)合會提供的數(shù)據(jù)，交易費每年為他們及其客戶造成約300億美元的損失。商戶同時指控信用卡公司阻攔了他們引導(dǎo)消費者采用更便宜的支付方式。(《華盛頓郵報》)
Under certain circumstances，the settlement allows merchants to charge customers extra if they use Visa or MasterCard credit cards. But Critics of the deal point out that those opportunities are extremely limited，and certain states prohibit such surcharging. The critics also say that merchants are unlikely to take advantage of surcharging for fear of upsetting consumers or losing them to competitors that do not impose a surcharge.
盡管該協(xié)議允許商戶在某些情況下向使用維薩或萬事達(dá)信用卡的顧客收取額外費用，但批評人士稱這種機會非常有限，一些州甚至禁止征收額外費用。還有批評表示，商戶由于害怕得罪顧客或令顧客選擇不征收額外費用的其他商家，因此不可能好好執(zhí)行征收額外費用的權(quán)利。(路透社)
U.S. District Judge John Gleeson of Brooklyn，New York，dismissed some of the objections made by merchants opposed to the deal as hyperbole.
但美國紐約布魯克林地方法官約翰·格里森表示，對抵制該協(xié)議的商戶提出的部分反對意見不予理會，認(rèn)為這些意見含有夸張成分。(路透社)
The trade group is considering appealing and has the backing of several retail organizations，including the National Association of Convenience Stores and National Community Pharmacists Association，that say the deal will not change the fighting between merchants and card companies.
目前，零售商的貿(mào)易團(tuán)體正在考慮上訴，并已得到包括美國便利商店協(xié)會和美國藥劑師協(xié)會在內(nèi)多家零售組織的支持。他們表示，此項協(xié)議不會改變商戶和信用卡公司之間的戰(zhàn)斗。(《華盛頓郵報》)
In July 2012，attorneys representing merchants nationwide reached a $7.2 billion settlement that has since tumbled to $5.7 billion as 8，000 merchants，including Amazon and Wal-Mart，bowed out of the deal. Those dissenters say the deal forces merchants that accept Visa or MasterCard to waive their right to sue the companies over swipe fees.
事實上，在2012年7月，代表全國商戶的律師就與信用卡公司達(dá)成了72億美元的和解協(xié)議，但由于包括亞馬遜和沃爾瑪在內(nèi)的8000家商戶中途退出和解，和解金因此減至57億美元。這些反對者表示，這項協(xié)議強迫使用維薩或萬事達(dá)信用卡的商戶放棄就刷卡費上訴這些公司的權(quán)利。(《華盛頓郵報》)
Many retailers who opted out of the settlement have filed their own lawsuits.
許多退出和解協(xié)議的零售商已單獨提起訴訟。(路透社)