"This decision relates to historic practices only, covers a limited period of time of less than 2 years and will not require any modification of Mastercard's current business practices," it said in a statement.

The European Commission said earlier on Tuesday that it had fined for limiting the possibility for merchants to benefit from better conditions offered by banks elsewhere in the European Union.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Alissa de Carbonnel; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)