Marquette Bank Minneapolis - Interest Rate Battle

Interest Rate Battle

Marquette was involved in lengthy credit card interest rate litigation with the First National Bank of Omaha which resulted in an important US Supreme Court ruling regulating the banking industry. Marquette brought suit against First National claiming the interest rate charged Minnesota customers using First National credit card services (VISA) though legal in Nebraska, exceeded the interest rate allowed under Minnesota state law. Marquette was also issuing cards but did not exceed the interest rate permitted by the law in the cardholder's State. The Court ruled in 1978 that a Federally chartered bank like First National could offer credit card services nationwide and the maximum interest rate to cardholders was that allowed by the State the bank was located in and not the customer's State. This ruling prompted some US States (South Dakota, Delaware, Utah, Virginia, New Hampshire) to repeal their maximum interest rate laws. Banks offering credit card services quickly established offices and cardholder services in those States to take advantage of the "no cap" interest rates allowed by the State.