Summary of Card Brand Changes Effective April 2024
***UPDATE 4/1/24*** As of April 1, 2024, Visa has canceled the upcoming changes to its existing Visa Consumer Credit Fee Programs (item #2 in the Visa Updates section below).
Original Article Below:
Twice a year – in April and October – Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and AmEx release updates to their programs and fee structures. For your convenience, below is a summary of the changes that will have the most impact on merchants. A complete list of the card brand changes can be accessed here.
As always, Wind River Payments believes in transparency of all card brand fees applicable to merchant processing costs and passes through these new fees to our customers with no mark-ups or changes.
Visa Updates
- New Performance Threshold Recurring Telecommunications & Cable Fee Programs
Visa is introducing a new performance threshold fee program for recurring telecommunications and cable transactions for consumer credit transactions. Merchants eligible for the Performance Threshold Recurring Telecommunications and Cable fee program will be assigned a unique Merchant Verification Value (MVV) by Visa. The MVV must be submitted in the transaction to qualify for the Performance Threshold Recurring Telecommunications and Cable fee program. Please click here for more details on these fees. - Changes to Existing Visa Consumer Credit Fee Programs
Visa will update the rates for certain interchange fee programs applicable to Visa consumer credit transactions in the US. Visa will implement changes to modify rates for several Visa consumer credit fee programs including the following examples:
- Healthcare and Healthcare–Non-Token
- Education and Education–Non-Token
- Real Estate and Real Estate–Non-Token
- Services and Services–Non-Token
- Travel
- Consumer Bill Payment Service (CBPS)
- Product 1
- Product 1–Token
- Small Merchant programs for:
– Healthcare
– Education
– Real Estate
– Services
A comparison of the new rates to the previous rates for these consumer credit fee programs can be found on pages 2-4 in this summary document.
- Visa Commercial Solutions Fee Will Be Introduced on Select US Acquired POS Volumes
Visa Commercial Solutions will introduce a fee of 0.01% for all US acquired transactions originated by Visa Business Solutions products. - Visa Account Name Inquiry Pricing Changes in the US and Canada
Visa will increase the rate on the Account Name Inquiry in the US and Canada from $ 0.05 to $0.10 per item.
MasterCard Updates
- Introducing Interchange Rates for the Mastercard Wholesale Travel Program
Mastercard is adjusting the interchange rates on two of the Mastercard Wholesale Travel Programs. - MasterCard Expanding Digital Enablement in the US Region
Mastercard is updating the Digital Enablement Fee (DEF) in the US region. To continue to enhance safety and security in the payments ecosystem, Mastercard is revising the billing structure for the DEF. The current fee item of 2.0 bps will now apply to all US-acquired authorizations for CNP transactions under USD 1000, with a minimum of USD 0.02. US-acquired authorizations for CNP transactions greater than or equal to USD 1000 will be billed a fixed rate fee of USD 0.40. - MasterCard Introduction of MO/TO Pricing for the US Region
Mastercard is introducing a new Mail Order/Telephone Order (MO/TO) fee for acquirers in the US region. Mastercard encourages the use of safer interfaces for card payments, incentivizing acquirers to adapt more sophisticated secure CNP payment methods and help prevent fraud.
This fee has a rate of 0.015% and is applicable for MO/TO CNP purchases (unique and non-unique MCCs) and Credit (Purchase Returns) transactions. The MO/TO fee does not apply for transactions that qualify for the Mastercard Wholesale Travel Program (MWP), previously referred to as Global Wholesale Travel Transaction Program (GWTTP). - MasterCard Extending Network Access Brand Usage Fee in the US Region
Mastercard is extending the Network Access and Brand Usage (NABU) fee that is applicable on authorized transactions (for approvals and declines) as well as refund or credit transactions.
The new fees will be expanded to include transactions that are US acquired and are globally issued cards with the rate of USD 0.0295. There are no changes being made to the current NABU fees. - MasterCard Revising Acquirer Brand Volume Fee for the US Region
Mastercard will increase the rate for the Acquirer Brand volume fees for the US region by 0.01%.
Discover Updates
- Rate Changes to the Discover Base Submission Level, US Consumer Interchange Program
As a part of the April 2024 release, Discover is revising the rates for the Base Submission Level, US Consumer Interchange Program. Please refer to page 6 on this summary document to view the new rates. - Criteria Change to the Discover Emerging Markets, US Consumer, Prime Submission Level Interchange Program
With the April 2024 release, Discover will revise the criteria for the Emerging Markets Prime Submission Level (PSL) interchange program. Consumer credit cards will no longer be eligible for this program and the criteria will be revised to limit eligibility to debit and prepaid account types.
Discover will discontinue the support of the Consumer Credit Cards for the Emerging Markets interchange program. Although these programs will still be visible throughout the systems, no new volume will report to these programs.
| Card Brand Description |
| EMERGING MARKETS REWARDS |
| EMERGING MARKETS PREMIUM |
| EMERGING MARKETS |
| EMERGING MARKETS PREMIUM PLUS |
The current qualification criteria for following US Consumer, PSL interchange programs will be updated to allow transactions conducted with a consumer credit product with an emerging market MCC (4899, 5968, 5983, 6533, 8211, 8220, 8299 and 8351) to qualify for the appropriate program:
- Retail
- Card Not Present
- eCommerce
- eCommerce Secured
- Key Entry
- Criteria Change to the Discover Recurring Payments, US Consumer, PSL Interchange Program
Discover is revising the criteria for the Recurring Payments PSL interchange program. The list of eligible MCCs for this program will be reduced to MCCs 4814 (Telecommunication Services) and 4899 (Cable, Satellite And Other Pay Television And Radio Services). MCCs 5968 (Continuity/Subscription Merchants), 7997 (Membership Clubs (Sports, Recreation, Athletic)) and 8351 (Childcare Services) will be removed from the Recurring Payments PSL interchange program
American Express Updates
Amex Rate Changes for Retail, Services and Professional Services, and Other Interchange Programs
Amex is modifying the rates for Retail, Services and Professional Services, and Other interchange programs. Additional information will be communicated as details become available. For a listing of the new rates, please refer to page 9 in this summary document.
