Some of the largest banks in the country have been exploring an acquisition that could allow them to get around one of the laws they hate most: the limits on fees they earn on debit-card transactions. When Capital One Financial bought Discover Financial in a $50.6 billion deal, it got a network that cut out the need for a middleman in card transactions and allowed it to deal more directly with merchants. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.