Mastercard Merricks class action
The Competition Appeal Tribunal approved a £200 million settlement in the long-running Merricks v Mastercard collective action in December 2024. Roughly 46 million UK adults are eligible: anyone who was resident in the UK for at least three months between 22 May 1992 and 21 June 2008 and was 16 or over for some of that period. There is no proof of purchase needed and no need to identify which transactions you made; the case is about Mastercard's interchange fees being passed on to consumers as higher prices across the economy.
Last updated April 2026
What the case is about
Between 1992 and 2008, Mastercard charged retailers an interchange fee of around 0.9 per cent on every transaction. The European Commission ruled in 2007 that this was anti-competitive and an unlawful restriction on competition. Walter Merricks brought collective proceedings under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998 on behalf of UK consumers, arguing that retailers passed those fees on as higher prices.
After eight years in the courts, the Competition Appeal Tribunal approved a £200 million settlement in December 2024. The distribution administrator is Epiq Class Action Services. The official information page is at mastercardconsumerclaim.co.uk.
At a glance
- Total fund
- £200 million (approved December 2024)
- Eligible adults
- ~46 million UK residents
- Qualifying period
- 22 May 1992 to 21 June 2008
- Registration
- Free, on the official Epiq portal
- Average per claimant
- ~£45 (depends on uptake)
- Proof of purchase
- Not required
Who qualifies
Two simple conditions:
- You were resident in the UK for at least three months at some point between 22 May 1992 and 21 June 2008.
- You were 16 or over for at least some of that residency period.
That is the entire test. You do not need to prove what you bought or paid for. You do not need to have used a Mastercard. Nationality is irrelevant. About 46 million people meet the test.
How much you might get
Per-claimant payouts depend on how many people register. With the £200 million pot and 46 million eligible adults, the theoretical maximum if everyone registered is about £4 each. That is not how class actions actually distribute, though. Most eligible adults will not register, so claimants typically receive substantially more.
The reasonable expectation, based on similar UK collective actions, is somewhere in the range of £10 to £70 per registered claimant, with a working estimate of around £45. The exact figure will be set by the administrator after the registration window closes.
How to register yourself
Wait for the distribution window to open (expected during 2026) and register on the official Epiq site. The exact steps will be published on mastercardconsumerclaim.co.uk; sign-up will involve confirming your name, current address, bank details for payment, and a self-declaration of UK residency in the qualifying period.
There is no application fee, no document upload, and no need to engage a representative. The whole process should take five minutes.
The traps people fall into
- Assuming you need to have used a Mastercard. You do not. The eligibility is about UK residency in the qualifying period.
- Paying a third party. Several sites are offering to help you "claim" for a percentage. The official process is free and takes five minutes; you should not pay anyone.
- Missing the registration window. Once the window closes, late registrations will not be accepted. Subscribe to the official site's notification list, and check back in mid-2026.
- Registering for a deceased relative. Estates can register on behalf of someone who died after the settlement was approved (December 2024). Earlier deaths generally cannot.
How Untap helps
Talk to Nell, our voice agent, and she runs the two-question eligibility check. We deep-link to the official Epiq portal when registration opens and remind you when the window is closing. We do not register for you and we do not have access to your bank details. The whole point is the official portal being five minutes; we are just making sure you do not miss it.
Questions readers actually ask
- Do I need to have used a Mastercard?
- No. The settlement is based on the argument that Mastercard's interchange fees inflated prices across the whole UK economy between 1992 and 2008, regardless of which card (or cash) you used. Eligibility is about UK residency in that period, not card use.
- Why is it called Merricks v Mastercard?
- Walter Merricks is the lead claimant who brought the collective proceedings on behalf of all eligible consumers. The case has been winding through the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Supreme Court since 2016. The £200m settlement was approved in December 2024.
- How will I be paid?
- When the distribution portal opens (expected during 2026), you register with proof of UK residency in the qualifying period. The administrator (Epiq) confirms eligibility and pays by bank transfer. There is no requirement to prove what you bought or paid for.
- I lived in the UK as a student or on a visa during the period. Am I eligible?
- Yes, as long as the UK was your usual home for at least three months in the 22 May 1992 to 21 June 2008 window and you were 16 or over for at least part of that time. The CAT's eligibility test is residency, not nationality.
- Has the deadline already passed?
- No. The registration window opens with the distribution phase, expected during 2026. Watch the official site for the date; everyone has the same window.
- I have seen sketchy-looking sites asking for my bank details. Are those legitimate?
- Some are. Many are not. The official administrator is Epiq via mastercardconsumerclaim.co.uk. Do not enter bank details on any site that does not match that domain exactly. Phishing for class-action distributions is a known fraud pattern.
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This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Always read the scheme's own rules before sending a claim.