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US-MD (US-MD) · Module W4 · Derived Confidence: Probable

US-MD: Scheme & Network Compliance

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Maryland has no state-specific interchange-fee cap or dedicated card-scheme statute; card acceptance in the state follows Visa/Mastercard network rules (surcharge caps of 3%/4% respectively) and the national interchange landscape, which is being reshaped by the long-running Payment Card Interchange Fee antitrust litigation settlement. Legislative attempts to cap Maryland surcharges at true cost of acceptance failed in 2024.

Horizon · 2026-Q2 In force (commenced)MDL 1720 interchange settlement rate-freeze/cap phase-in windowIn force (commenced)
Standing sub-brief · as of 5 July 2026157 words · last cycle 2026-07-05

Scheme & Network Compliance

Maryland merchants operate under national card-network surcharge rules rather than a state-specific interchange cap: surcharging is capped at up to 4% (3% for Visa), and the state's 2024 attempt to legislate a true-cost-of-acceptance surcharge cap failed to pass. The more consequential development this cycle is national rather than Maryland-specific: the amended interchange settlement in In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation (MDL 1720) received court approval in June 2026, following an April 27 hearing, after research had characterized it as still proposed. The settlement caps standard consumer credit interchange at 1.25% for eight years, freezes posted rates for five years, and expands surcharging to 3%, directly affecting Maryland merchants and acquirers as settlement class members.

Outlook

The scheme-compliance trajectory is escalating: Maryland merchants and acquirers should treat the MDL 1720 settlement as adopted law rather than a pending proposal, with the rate-freeze and cap provisions phasing in from mid-2026.

no periodic updates on record for this sub-brief

Sources and findings (4 unique sources · R-3/R-4)
  1. [W4-E1] T3 Derived: Probable in_forcehttps://www.getnickel.com/surcharge-laws/maryland re-verified

    Maryland merchants, including restaurants, can add credit card surcharges up to 4% (3% for Visa) on all credit card transactions including dine-in, takeout, and delivery, and must clearly post surcharge policies with the fee as a separate line item on receipts.

  2. [W4-E2] T3 Derived: Probable in_forcehttps://merchantcostconsulting.com/lower-credit-card-processing-fees/credit-card-surcharge-laws-by-state/ re-verified

    Maryland legislators introduced new bills in 2024 attempting to limit surcharging in Maryland to the merchant's actual cost to process the transaction, but those bills failed to pass and were never enacted into law.

  3. [W4-E3] T2 Derived: Confirmed in_forcehttps://www.americanbar.org/groups/antitrust_law/resources/newsletters/in-re-payment-card-interchange-fee-merchant-discount-antitrust-litigation/ re-verified

    The November 2025 amended settlement would cap standard consumer credit card interchange rates on Visa Traditional/Mastercard Core cards at 1.25% for eight years, freeze network-wide posted rates for five years, and expand merchant surcharging rights to 3%, directly affecting Maryland merchants as class members.

  4. [W4-E4] T3 Derived: Probable in_forcehttps://www.payram.com/blog/visa-mastercard-swipe-fee-settlement re-verified

    U.S. merchants, including those in Maryland, paid a record-breaking $187.2 billion in combined credit and debit card swipe fees in 2024, a figure that has increased 70% since 2020, forming the backdrop to the pending MDL settlement.