02:19 PM EDT, 07/10/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Apple ( AAPL ) , Visa (V), and Mastercard ( MA ) won a dismissal of a merchant antitrust lawsuit over payment fees, according to a court order dated Wednesday.

US District Judge David Dugan in Illinois ruled that the plaintiffs failed to present sufficient evidence that Apple ( AAPL ) deliberately avoided creating a competing payment network to shield Visa and Mastercard ( MA ).

"Plaintiffs may be correct that defendant Apple ( AAPL ), by its nature, was uniquely situated to reap the high potential reward" for challenging Visa and Mastercard ( MA ) in the payment network market, but "their allegations completely ignore the difficulties, costs and time, risks, and potential for failure associated with such an endeavor," according to the ruling.

He described the claims as largely circumstantial and granted plaintiffs 30 days to file a second amended class action complaint. The case was brought by Mirage Wine & Spirits and other merchants.

Apple ( AAPL ), Visa and Mastercard ( MA ) didn't immediately reply to requests for comment from MT Newswires.

Apple ( AAPL ) shares rose 0.6% in recent Thursday trading, Visa fell 0.3%, and Mastercard ( MA ) eased 0.2%.

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