Summary of Card Brand Changes Effective October 2025
Twice a year – in April and October – Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and AmEx release updates to their programs and fee structures. Additionally, the NYCE Payments Network has released updates to its PIN Debit rates as well. 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 association fees applicable to merchant processing costs and passes through these new fees to our customers with no mark-ups or changes.
Visa Updates
1. Changes to Support the Existing Visa Commercial Choice Select in the US Region
Visa is defining additional Selected Program ID values to support Visa Commercial Choice Select. This change entails new fee programs, which is an extension of the Commercial Choice Select programs.
2. New Visa Business Credit Product 3 Fee Program
Visa is introducing a new Business Credit Product 3 fee program. Certain qualified transactions will be assessed new fee descriptors, fee program indicators (FPIs), and rates.
Transactions that qualify for these fee programs are business credit products at non-travel service merchant category codes (MCCs). All transactions must be Custom Payment Service (CPS) qualified and contain full and accurate level 3 invoice data. Transactions also must be submitted with a new Requested Special Service indicator of 1 (Commercial Enhanced Data Program).
The new fee programs require participation in the Visa Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP).
3. Updates to Interchange Fee Programs Applicable to Visa Corporate and Visa Purchasing Credit Transactions
Visa is updating fee programs applicable to Visa Corporate and Visa Purchasing credit transactions. These fee programs will require participation in CEDP. In addition, there are changes to the program rates.
Rate changes:
4. Updates to Visa Commercial Choice Travel Products
Visa is implementing changes to allow transactions with non-travel MCCs to be processed as Visa Commercial Choice Travel transactions. The Global B2B Virtual Payments fee program and Global B2B Virtual Payments Registered Fee program will be updated. These programs are currently only valid for travel service MCCs. They will become applicable for all MCCs in the US, Canada, and Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) regions.
Mastercard Updates
1. Introducing Interchange Rate Designator (IRD) for Mastercard Wholesale Travel Program in the US Region
Mastercard is introducing an Interchange Rate Designator (IRD) for the Mastercard Wholesale Travel Program (MWP) for intraregional transactions in the US region. These associated changes will also come into effect:
- A new IRD, BU, US Commercial Business-to-Business.
- New programs to support the separation of the US intracountry Global Wholesale Travel Program transactions from the other associated transactions determined to be under different jurisdictions.
- The only change to the qualification criteria will be that transactions for any of the 32 current product codes that have a US intracountry jurisdiction must be qualified at the new IRD BU.
2. Introducing Interchange Rates for the Mastercard Wholesale Travel Program Globally and in the US Region
Mastercard is updating certain MWP rates globally and for intraregional transactions in the US region.
Rate changes:
3. Modifying Interchange Rates for the MasterCard Variable Interchange Program Transactions in the US Region
Effective October 17, 2025, Mastercard is modifying two variable interchange program rates for the US region.
Rate changes:
4. Modifying MasterCard Interregional Interchange Rates
Mastercard is modifying the interchange rates for interregional transactions for consumers.
Rate changes:
5. Acquiring Pricing for Mastercard Wholesale Travel Program Domestic Transactions in the US
Effective October 13, 2025, Mastercard is creating a new MC Wholesale Travel Program (MWP) acquiring fee for US domestic transactions. This is for the US market only. Mastercard will have two different domestic and cross-border MWP acquiring fee rates. This further drives the fast-growing business-to-business (B2B) travel transactions locally and internationally.
The first billing from Mastercard is on October 19, 2025. The rate for the US Domestic Wholesale Travel Program Fee is 0.25%. It applies to all US domestic transactions processed under the new IRD BU.
Additionally, Acquirer Brand Volume assessment fees—MC Acquirer Brand Volume and MC Acquirer Brand Volume Above, process objects 2J2 and 2J3—will be included as part of the US Domestic Wholesale Travel Program Fee. Therefore, they will be excluded from applying to transactions processed using the new IRD BU.
New interchange item:
PIN Debit Updates
NYCE interchange rate updates
Effective October 2025, NYCE Payments Network interchange rates will be updated and will no longer distinguish between Premier and Non-Premier fee programs.
Rate changes:
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