October 2024 Interchange and Network Fee Updates

Summary of Card Brand Changes Effective October 2024

Twice a year – in April and October – Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and AmEx release updates to their programs and fee structures. Only Visa and American Express made changes to their programs this month. 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.

Keep in mind, there are roughly 1000+ interchange rates currently in place. Only a fraction of that total apply to individual merchants.  The Visa updates noted below are for very specific industries – which will likely not affect your business unless your MCC is in the Supermarket or Fuel related categories. American Express changes only apply to Utilities companies. If you do not identify with any of the MCC codes listed below, you will not process individual card acceptance differently from what you already do today.

As always, Wind River Payments believes in transparency of all association fees applicable to merchant processing costs and passes through these new fees to our customers with no mark-ups or changes.

Visa Updates

Changes to Visa Corporate and Visa Purchasing Fee Programs for Transactions from Fleet and Fuel Merchants

Visa will change the fee edits that apply to Visa Corporate and Visa Purchasing (including fleet) credit purchase transactions with fuel data from fleet and fuel merchants.

• Two interchange fee programs will no longer be supported:
  • Corporate Card Fuel Level 2
  • Purchasing Card Fuel Level 2
• Two new interchange fee programs will be added:
  • Commercial Fuel Level 2 Data
  • Commercial Fuel Level 3 Data
• Implementing revisions to no longer allow merchant category codes (MCCs) 4468, 4582, 5172, 5499, 5541, 5542, 5552, 5983, 7523, and 7542 to qualify for:
  • Corporate Card Non-Travel Service Level 3
  • Purchasing Card Non-Travel Service Level 3

Changes to Visa US Domestic Interchange Fee Programs for Supermarkets

Visa will update Purchasing Fleet fee programs and introduce a new fee program applicable to Visa consumer credit supermarket transactions from eligible small merchants.

Visa is adding new fee programs for Small Merchants using Supermarket MCC 5411. These merchants must meet Visa’s existing volume requirements to be eligible for the Small Merchant interchange programs.

American Express Updates

Updated Program Pricing for the American Express Utilities Interchange Program

As part of the October 2024 release, American Express is modifying the Utilities Tier 2 rate and threshold range.  They are also creating a new Tier 3 Utilities interchange program.