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Visa Interchange

 

Visa Interchange refers to the fees that an acquiring bank pays to the issuing bank for each Visa card transaction. These fees are set by Visa and help cover costs related to transaction processing, fraud prevention, and cardholder benefits.

⚠️ Important: For a complete list of Interchange updates effective April 2026, including all category changes and rate adjustments, review the full spreadsheet: Interchange | April 2026 (Full List)

 

Category Subcategory Name Description
Card Type Consumer Credit Standard Consumer Cards Standard consumer credit cards with base interchange rates.
Card Type Consumer Debit Debit Cards Debit cards generally have lower interchange rates than credit cards.
Card Type Rewards / Premium Cards Rewards or Premium Cards Higher interchange rates due to rewards programs, travel benefits, and premium card perks.
Card Type Commercial Cards Business / Corporate Cards Business, purchasing, or corporate cards with unique interchange rate tiers.
Transaction Method Card-Present Chip / Contactless / Swipe Lower fraud risk transactions that typically qualify for lower interchange rates due to secure authentication.
Transaction Method Card-Not-Present eCommerce / MOTO Higher fraud risk transactions such as online or phone orders, generally resulting in higher interchange rates.
Merchant Category Code (MCC) Industry-Specific Rates Merchant Industry Rates vary by merchant category such as retail, grocery, fuel, restaurant, travel, and e-commerce.
Region Domestic Same-Country Transactions Transactions processed within the same country typically have lower network and interchange fees.
Region Cross-Border International Transactions Transactions where the issuing bank and merchant are in different countries; usually incur higher network and interchange costs.
Transaction Timing Settlement Timing Batch Settlement Transactions settled quickly (same-day or within required timeframes) qualify for better interchange rates.
Data Quality Enhanced Transaction Data Level 3 CEDP Level 3 CEDP (Commercial Enhanced Data Program) includes detailed invoice, tax, and line-item data required for certain commercial card transactions, allowing merchants to qualify for lower interchange rates.

Key Points:

  • Fees vary based on transaction type, card type, and merchant category.

  • Rates are set by Visa and updated periodically (usually in April and October).

  • Interchange fees are a component of the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), alongside processor and acquirer fees.

Category Brand / Scope Name Meaning
Interchange Categories (Examples)
Interchange Visa CPS Retail / CPS Qualified Discounted rate for properly formatted, low-risk card-present transactions where required data is present.
Interchange Visa CPS Rewards (Rewards tiers) Consumer rewards cards; cost generally increases with richer card benefits.
Interchange Visa CPS Card-Not-Present Online/keyed transactions; typically higher due to fraud risk and data requirements.
Interchange Visa EIRF Fallback category when a transaction fails CPS qualification requirements.
Interchange Visa Standard / Non-Qualified Higher-cost fallback when key data is missing, risk factors are higher, or program rules aren't met.
Interchange Visa Business Level 1 / 2 / 3 Commercial card tiers; Level 2/3 require additional invoice/tax data and can qualify for improved rates.
Interchange Visa Debit Regulated / Unregulated Regulated debit (large issuers) is capped by law; unregulated debit can be higher.
Interchange Mastercard Merit (e.g., Merit I / Merit III) Card-present interchange categories for transactions meeting Mastercard formatting/data requirements.
Interchange Mastercard World / World Elite Premium consumer rewards card categories.
Interchange Mastercard Consumer eCommerce (Basic / Enhanced) Online Mastercard interchange; enhanced tiers may apply when additional security/authentication data is present.
Interchange Mastercard Business Level 1 / 2 / 3 Commercial tiers; Level 2/3 require invoice/tax data for improved qualification.
Interchange Mastercard Data Rate (I / II / III) Categories based on POS data transmitted; more qualifying data can lower the rate.
Interchange Discover Commercial Discover interchange for business/commercial card products.
Interchange Discover Card-Present / Card-Not-Present Discover categories split by transaction method.
Interchange Discover Recurring Payments Lower interchange for subscription or recurring billing when criteria are met.
Interchange (OptBlue) American Express OptBlue Industry Rates Wholesale rates set by Amex based on industry (MCC), ticket size, and how the card is accepted (CP vs CNP).
Interchange (OptBlue) American Express Premium / Rewards Tiers Higher-cost tiers for premium and rewards Amex cards.
Interchange (OptBlue) American Express CNP Rates Higher Amex rates for card-not-present transactions (online/keyed).
Association / Network Fees (Common Pass-Through Fees)
Association (Network) Visa Assessment Fee (US Acquirer Service Fee) Percentage-based fee assessed on settled Visa volume (commonly shown separately for credit vs debit/prepaid).
Association (Network) Visa APF (Acquirer Processing Fee) Per-transaction fee for processing through the Visa network.
Association (Network) Visa NABU (Network Acquirer Brand Usage) Per-authorization or per-transaction network usage fee (statement naming varies by processor).
Association (Network) Visa FANF (Fixed Acquirer Network Fee) Monthly network fee based on merchant type and processing profile (often billed in arrears).
Association (Network) Visa International Fees (ISA / IAF) Additional fees for cross-border / non-U.S. issuer transactions.
Association (Network) Visa Misuse of Authorization Fee Penalty when an authorization is not settled/reversed within required timeframes (common in tips, lodging, rentals).
Association (Network) Visa Zero Floor Limit Fee Penalty when a settlement occurs without a corresponding authorization on file (auth missing/invalid).
Association (Network) Visa Integrity / Data-Quality Fees (statement-dependent) Fees tied to network rule compliance, data quality, or transaction integrity (naming and applicability vary).
Association (Network) Mastercard Assessment / Volume Assessment Percentage-based fee assessed on settled Mastercard volume.
Association (Network) Mastercard NABU Fee Per-transaction network access and brand usage fee.
Association (Network) Mastercard Cross-Border Assessment Applied when issuer and merchant are in different countries/regions.
Association (Network) Mastercard Acquirer License Fee Periodic license fee charged for use of the Mastercard network (often itemized monthly/periodically).
Association (Network) Mastercard Digital Enablement Fee (DEF) Fee supporting tokenization / digital wallet services; may appear on statements for digital wallet transactions.
Association (Network) Discover Assessment Fee Percentage-based fee on Discover volume for network usage.
Association (Network) Discover DUF (Data Usage Fee) Per-transaction fee tied to data and network services (often shows as "DUF" on statements).
Association (Network) Discover International Service Fee Fee for transactions involving non-U.S. issued Discover cards (where applicable).
Association (Network) Discover Digital Investment / Network Program Fees (statement-dependent) Fees related to network investments, digital programs, or enhanced services (varies by program and statement labeling).
Association (Network) American Express (OptBlue) Network Assessment / Program Fees Fees supporting Amex network operations under OptBlue; may be shown as pass-through or bundled depending on provider.
Association (Network) American Express Cross-Border Fee Additional fee for international/non-domestic Amex transactions (where applicable).
Association (Network) All Networks AVS / Account Verification Fees (as applicable) Fees for Address Verification or account verification services, most common in keyed/CNP workflows.
Processor / MSP Fees (Common Merchant Statement Fees)
Processor Fees All / General Monthly / Statement Fee Account maintenance, reporting, and monthly statement generation.
Processor Fees All / General Payment Gateway Fee Secure online routing/processing through a gateway (common for e-commerce).
Processor Fees All / General Batch Fee / Daily Close Fee Charged each time the merchant settles (batches out).
Processor Fees All / General PCI Compliance / Non-Compliance PCI program/tooling fee, and potential penalty fee if required PCI steps are not completed.
Processor Fees All / General Chargeback / Representment Fees Fees assessed when a dispute is filed and/or when responding to (representing) a chargeback.
Processor Fees All / General Retrieval / Copy Request Fee Fee for providing transaction documentation when requested by issuer/network.
Processor Fees All / General Voice Authorization Fee Fee for manual phone-based authorizations.
Processor Fees All / General Monthly Minimum Fee Ensures processor revenue reaches a minimum threshold when volume is low.
Processor Fees All / General Tokenization / Vault / Card-on-File Fees Fees for storing credentials securely and supporting tokenized card-on-file transactions.
Processor Fees All / General Equipment Rental / Purchase Fees Terminal/PIN pad/POS costs (rental, lease, purchase, or support plan fees).
Processor Fees All / General Early Termination Fee (ETF) Charged if the merchant exits the processing agreement before the term ends (if applicable).
Summary (How Total Cost is Built)
Summary All / General Interchange Fees Set by issuing banks and networks; vary by card type, risk, and transaction method; typically the largest cost component.
Summary All / General Association (Network) Fees Charged by Visa/Mastercard/Discover/Amex to fund network operations, security, and infrastructure.
Summary All / General Processor Fees Charged by the merchant services provider to cover support, technology, risk controls, and operational services.
Note: Fee names, grouping, and line-item labels vary by processor statement. Card brands update programs and pass-through fees periodically, so use this table as a "most common" reference rather than an exhaustive list.