New York, Mar 15: MasterCard International on Friday asked for a separate trial from rival Visa in an antitrust case brought against the credit card associations by 5 million retailers. MasterCard filed a motion in US District Court for the Eastern District of New York arguing that trying both groups together would confuse a jury and that there is no evidence the two conspired together.

A lawyer for the retailers, however, termed the motion a delaying tactic.
Merchants led by giant discounter Wal-Mart Stores Inc. charged in the 1996 lawsuit that Visa and MasterCard used their strength in the credit card business to crush smaller rivals in the debit card market. This resulted in higher fees for retailers, which passed them on to consumers.
The suit is set for an April 28 jury trial in the court in New York's borough of Brooklyn, but Visa and MasterCard have already filed a joint motion to throw out the case. US District Judge John Gleeson has not yet ruled on that matter.
MasterCard said in its brief that a majority of the internal documents cited by the merchants' lawyers indict only Visa, and it claims it has a much more cordial relationship with smaller payment networks. Bureau Report