A coffee shop displays signs for Visa, MasterCard and Discover, in Washington, May 1, 2013.   REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
A coffee shop displays signs for Visa, MasterCard and Discover in Washington
  • Visa and Mastercard settled with US retailers over fees on credit-card swipes.
  • The agreement is set to allow retailers to negotiate fees directly with the credit-card companies.
  • As a result, some customers may pay more at checkout.

After nearly two decades of litigation, Visa and Mastercard have reached a massive antitrust settlement with US retailers capping fees on credit-card swipes.

The agreement, which is still subject to court approval, is set to make Visa and Mastercard transactions cheaper for retailers and for some consumers.