Merchant organizations assert the proposed settlement “is one-sided and preserves the very anti-competitive actions that were the genesis of the lawsuits.” In a letter sent to House and Senate leaders on Sept. 20, a group of associations representing merchants of all sizes across all segments of the merchant community highlighted the reasons behind the growing…

Visa Inc. said it plans to raise its Visa Easy Payment Service “no signature required” limit from $25 to $50 for two key U.S. merchant categories. Starting in October 2012, discount stores and grocery stores/supermarkets in the U.S. can accept Visa cards for transactions up to $50 without requiring a cardholder signature or PIN, or…