1373/5/7/20 (T) Furniture Village Limited v Mastercard Incorporated and Others

Claim for damages by Furniture Village Limited in respect of alleged infringements of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and/or Article 53 of the EEA Agreement and/or Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998.

The claim is made against: (1) Mastercard Incorporated; (2) Mastercard International Incorporated; (3) Mastercard Europe SA; and (4) Mastercard/Europay UK Limited.

The proceedings were transferred from the High Court to the Tribunal by order of Master Kaye dated 23 November 2020.

A joint case management conference in Cases 1306(T)-1325(T), 1349(T)-1350(T), 1369(T), 1373(T)-1374(T), 1376(T), 1383(T)-1384(T), 1385(T)-1400(T) and 1406(T) took place on 1-2 March 2022 where the Tribunal gave directions regarding the future case management of the interchange fee cases. On 16 March 2022 the Tribunal issued its ruling providing reasons for a change in approach and setting out a process to identify the issues requiring determination ([2022] CAT 14).

A joint hearing took place on 23 and 24 May 2022 in Cases 1306(T)-1325(T), 1349(T)-1350(T), 1373(T)-1374(T), 1376(T), 1383(T)-1384(T), 1385(T)-1390(T), 1392(T)-1400(T) and 1406(T) to consider issues relating to pass on.

On 4 July 2022, the President made an Order designating this case as a “Host Case” pursuant to Practice Direction 2/2022 (Umbrella Proceedings). Ubiquitous Matters (as defined in the Practice Direction) arising in this case will be disposed of in Umbrella Proceedings (also defined in the Practice Direction) listed under Case 1517/11/7/22 (UM): Merchant Interchange Fee Umbrella Proceedings.