Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-1454_5h26.pdf
Page Number: 5

Cite as:  585 U. S. ____ (2018) 

1 

Opinion of the Court 

NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
preliminary  print  of  the  United  States  Reports.  Readers  are  requested  to
notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of the United States, Wash-
ington,  D. C.  20543,  of  any  typographical  or  other  formal  errors,  in  order
that corrections may be made before the preliminary print goes to press. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

No. 16–1454 
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OHIO, ET AL., PETITIONERS v. AMERICAN EXPRESS 
COMPANY, ET AL. 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 
APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT 

[June 25, 2018] 

JUSTICE THOMAS delivered the opinion of the Court. 
American  Express  Company  and  American  Express
Travel  Related  Services  Company  (collectively,  Amex) 
provide  credit-card  services  to  both  merchants  and  card-
holders.  When  a  cardholder  buys  something  from  a  mer-
chant who accepts Amex credit cards, Amex processes the 
transaction  through  its  network,  promptly  pays  the  mer-
chant, and subtracts a fee.  If a merchant wants to accept 
Amex  credit  cards—and  attract  Amex  cardholders  to  its 
business—Amex  requires  the  merchant  to  agree  to  an 
antisteering  contractual  provision.    The  antisteering  pro-
vision  prohibits  merchants  from  discouraging  customers
from  using  their  Amex  card  after  they  have  already  en-
tered  the  store  and  are  about  to  buy  something,  thereby 
avoiding Amex’s fee.  In this case, we must decide whether 
Amex’s  antisteering  provisions  violate  federal  antitrust 
law.  We conclude they do not. 

I 
A 
Credit  cards  have  become  a  primary  way  that  consum-
ers  in  the  United  States  purchase  goods  and  services.