POS operators to suspend services over exclusivity practice

POS (point‑of‑sale) operators such as Visa, Mastercard, and major payment processors have occasionally halted or limited services to merchants that enforce “exclusivity” clauses—requirements that customers use only a specific payment brand or that the merchant accept only one card network. The operators argue that such practices restrict competition, violate antitrust or consumer‑protection laws, and undermine the open‑network model of card payments. When a merchant’s contract or policy is deemed to breach these rules, the POS operator may suspend transaction processing, block card acceptance, or terminate the merchant agreement until the exclusivity demand is removed. This enforcement is intended to... Views Nigeria