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Card brand fees are the fees charged by credit card companies to merchants for processing credit card transactions.
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Card brand fees are the fees charged by credit card companies to merchants for processing credit card transactions. These fees are also known as interchange fees or swipe fees. What is Card Brand Fees? A Complete Guide for Merchants
Interchange fees are set by Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, and are generally a percentage of the transaction plus a fixed fee. For example, Visa's interchange fee for a retail transaction is 1.51% + $0.10. Merchants are also charged a separate fee by their credit card processor, which covers the cost of processing the transaction and typically ranges from 1-3%.
In total, merchants can expect to pay 2-4% of the transaction amount in fees when accepting credit cards. There are a few ways that merchants can reduce their card brand fees. The most common is to offer discounts for customers who pay with cash or debit cards. Another option is to surcharge credit card transactions, which is allowed in some states.
Some merchants also choose to absorb the card brand fees as a cost of doing business. This is generally not recommended, as it can lead to lower profits and higher prices for customers. The best way to reduce card brand fees is to negotiate with your credit card processor. Many processors offer interchange-plus pricing, which can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year in fees.
If you're not sure if you're getting the best deal on credit card processing, we can help. We offer a free cost comparison service that will show you the fees charged by different processors.