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The $30 billion settlement that was reached on Tuesday between merchants and credit card giants Visa and Mastercard could make it more expensive to use premium credit cards.

The rate tables that were revealed as part of the settlement show that customers who use cards like Visa Infinite, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Mastercard World Elite will need to shell out more in swipe fees that merchants are charged by the credit card companies.

A $100 transaction at a restaurant would result in swipe fees of $2.60 for a diner using a Visa Infinite card as opposed to $2.10 for someone using a regular Visa rewards card, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News.

Visa Infinite charges an annual fee of up to $525 in exchange for benefits and perks including travel discounts, gym memberships, dining offers and subscriptions to entertainment providers.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve, which comes with a $550 annual fee, includes a welcome offer of a $300 travel credit as well as 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months.

Tuesday’s settlement will allow merchants to charge consumers more for using the elite cards — although some may choose not to for fear of a backlash, according to experts.

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Merchants have long complained that Visa and Mastercard have required them to accept all of their credit cards at checkout.

The credit card companies say that the elite accounts encourage shoppers to buy more than they would ordinarily pay due to the enticements and incentives.

But merchants have long complained that they were not permitted to charge elite card holders extra.

Merchants have accused Visa and Mastercard of charging inflated swipe fees, or interchange fees, when shoppers used credit or debit cards, and barring them through “anti-steering” rules from directing customers toward cheaper means of payment.

Swipe fees typically include small fixed fees plus a percentage of total sale amounts, and average about 1.5% to 3.5% per transaction according to Bankrate.com.

Under the settlement, Visa and Mastercard would reduce swipe rates by at least four basis points — 0.04 percentage points — for three years, and ensure an average rate that is seven basis points below the current average for five years.

Both card networks also agreed to cap rates for five years and remove anti-steering provisions.

Merchants will have more discretion to offer discounts, or impose surcharges on cards with higher interchange fees.

Many already warn customers at checkout they will pay more using cards instead of cash.

The fee rollbacks and caps alone are worth $29.79 billion, according to court papers, and Visa estimated that small businesses comprise more than 90% of the settling merchants.

Visa and Mastercard denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

In separate statements, Visa’s North American president Kim Lawrence said the accord addressed “true pain points” identified by small businesses, while Mastercard General Counsel Rob Baird said it gave businesses “substantial certainty.”

With Post wires

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World

Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India, killing seven people

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Helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims crashes in India, killing seven people

A helicopter carrying Hindu pilgrims has crashed in India, killing seven people on board.

The accident happened within minutes of the helicopter taking off, officials said, on what should have been a 10-minute flight.

The helicopter was flying to Guptkashi, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayas, from Kedarnath temple town in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

It comes three days after an Air India flight crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in northwestern India, killing at least 270 people.

The helicopter, which was operated by private helicopter service Aryan Aviation, went down in a forested area several miles from the Kedarnath pilgrimage route at around 5.30am local time.

Officials said the crash was believed to have been caused by poor weather conditions.

Authorities say they have launched a search and rescue operation and are expected to review operational protocols for flights in the region.

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The dead include the pilot and pilgrims from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh and western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, according to officials. The bodies were badly burned in a fire that followed the crash, they said.

Smoke and debris at the crash site. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Smoke and debris at the site. Pic: Reuters

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Kedarnath, which is home to one of the four most sacred Hindu temple shrines, each summer. Many use helicopter services due to the difficult mountainous terrain.

Helicopter mishaps are not uncommon in the region, where sudden weather changes and high-altitude flying conditions can pose risks.

Earlier this month, a helicopter operating in the Kedarnath Valley made an emergency landing shortly after taking off on a highway due to a technical fault. The pilot was injured but all five passengers on board were unharmed.

In May, a helicopter crashed in Uttarkashi district, killing six people, including the pilot. One person survived.

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Politics

Brazil ends crypto tax exemption, imposes 17.5% flat rate on gains

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Brazil ends crypto tax exemption, imposes 17.5% flat rate on gains

Brazil ends crypto tax exemption, imposes 17.5% flat rate on gains

Brazil scraps crypto tax exemption for small traders, enforces flat 17.5% rate across all gains, including self-custody and offshore holdings.

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Sports

Ohtani blasts two HRs to halt 10-game drought

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Ohtani blasts two HRs to halt 10-game drought

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani hit two homers in an 11-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night, emphatically ending the three-time MVP’s longest homer drought since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani led off the bottom of the first with his 24th homer, hammering Landen Roupp‘s fourth pitch 419 feet deep into the right-field bleachers with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph.

The slugger had been in a 10-game homer drought since June 2, going 10-for-40 in that stretch with no RBIs, although he still had an eight-game hitting streak during his power outage.

Ohtani led off the sixth with his 25th homer, sending Tristan Beck‘s breaking ball outside the strike zone into the bleachers in right. He also moved one homer behind the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Seattle’s Cal Raleigh for the overall major league lead.

Dodgers fans brought him home with a standing ovation as Ohtani produced his third multihomer game of the season and the 22nd of his career.

Ohtani reached base four times and scored three runs in his first four at-bats, drawing two walks to go with his two homers.

Ohtani hadn’t played in 10 straight games without hitting a homer since 2023 in the final 10 games of his six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels.

Ohtani had slowed down a bit over the past two weeks after he was named the NL Player of the Month for May with a formidable performance, racking up 15 homers and 28 RBIs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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