No. 16-1454October Term 2017Decided Jun 25, 2018
Ohio v. American Express Co.
This case is about whether American Express violated federal antitrust law by using contract terms that stopped merchants from steering customers to cheaper credit cards.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 25, 2018
- What it's about
This case is about whether American Express violated federal antitrust law by using contract terms that stopped merchants from steering customers to cheaper credit cards. The dispute turned on how courts should apply the Sherman Act’s "rule of reason" to a two-sided credit-card platform that serves both merchants and cardholders.
Question presented
Under the "rule of reason," did the Government's showing that Amex's anti-steering provisions stifled price competition on the merchant side of the credit- card platform suffice to prove anticompetitive effects and thereby shift to Amex the burden of establishing any procompetitive benefits from the provisions?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / Decision released Jun 25, 2018
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided June 25, 2018
The Court released its decision on June 25, 2018 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology