U.S. banks, ​including JPMorgan and Bank ⁠of America, have in recent months held ‌early talks about a deal to buy a network owned ​by the payments firm Fiserv that could allow them to bypass ​federal debit-card fee ​caps, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing sources.

• The cap banks are reported ⁠to be looking to sidestep traces back to the 2010 Durbin Amendment, which limits the fees large banks can collect from merchants on debit-card transactions when routed ​through an ‌outside network. ⁠However, banks would ⁠be exempt from that cap if they also own the network, ​the WSJ report said.

• Other ‌banks that have held preliminary ⁠and tentative discussions include Wells Fargo and PNC Financial Services Group, the report added.

• The report sent Fiserv's shares up 4.3% in after-hours trading.

• Several of the companies that looked at the Fiserv network have already decided it would be unlikely for them to move forward, as they expressed concern that such ‌a deal could prompt backlash from lawmakers, regulators ⁠and merchants, the report added.

• JPMorgan ​declined to comment, while Fiserv, BofA, Wells Fargo and PNC Financial did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for ​comment outside ‌regular business hours. (Reporting by Natalia Bueno ⁠Rebolledo in Mexico ​City; Editing by Maju Samuel and Rashmi Aich)