A £600,000 print and digital advertising campaign targeting national, regional and social media channels will inform consumers of their rights under the claim, with about 46 million people potentially eligible for a pay-out of up to £300 each. The campaign launched last week, following the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of Mastercard’s final challenge to certification of collective proceedings, in Mastercard v Merricks [2022] EWCA Civ 1568.
The case, which is based on interchange fees paid by businesses when consumers paid by card, is the first to be brought under the collective action regime introduced by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Everyone within the scope of the claim is automatically included unless they specifically opt out.
Former financial ombudsman Merricks said: ‘Even if you didn’t use a Mastercard and just paid for things by cash, cheque or a different card, you can still benefit from my claim.’
