Set by American Express
Wholesale rates are determined by American Express, and Helcim passes these wholesale costs transparently back to the merchant.
American Express OptBlue® Discount Rates Canada.
American Express is a popular card used by customers around the world. Customers using Amex tend to make larger purchases, with many Amex cards used for business and corporate purchases. By accepting Amex, your customers can pay in-person, by phone and online. Helcim makes it easier and more affordable for your business to accept Amex cards so you can offer your customers a fast, reliable and secure method of payment. We display Amex's OptBlue wholesale discount rates on our website as part of our transparent Interchange Plus pricing.
Multiple Tiers
Rates vary by industry type (Retail, Services, Healthcare, etc.), the size of the transaction, and how the card is entered (chip, keyed, online).
Full Transparency
With Interchange Plus, you see the exact interchange cost on your statement. Helcim only adds a small, transparent margin on top.
Canada
American Express OptBlue® Discount Rates
These are the wholesale discount rates charged by American Express on every OptBlue transaction. The rate depends on the merchant's industry category and the average transaction size. At Helcim, we pass these rates directly to you with our transparent Interchange Plus pricing.
Industry / Transaction Size
Discount Rate
Retail
Standard retail merchants including brick-and-mortar stores and general merchandise sellers.
Retail ≤ $500
1.60%
Retail > $500
2.00%
Services
Service-based businesses such as professional services, consulting, and personal care.
Services ≤ $500
1.60%
Services > $500
2.00%
Restaurant
Qualifying restaurant and food-service merchants.
Restaurant ≤ $200
1.60%
Restaurant > $200
2.40%
Mail Order & Internet
Card-not-present transactions including e-commerce, phone orders, and mail orders.
Mail Order & Internet ≤ $500
1.60%
Mail Order & Internet > $500
2.00%
Healthcare
Healthcare providers and medical service merchants.
Healthcare — Any Size
1.34%
Emerging Markets
Qualifying emerging-market merchants in specific industries.
Emerging Markets — Any Size
1.18%
Residential Rent
Real estate and residential rent payment processors.
Residential Rent — Any Size
1.08%
Utilities
Utility providers including electric, gas, water, and sanitary services.
Utilities ≤ $1,000
$0.75 flat
Utilities > $1,000
1.50%
Utilities > $5,000
2.30%
B2B / Wholesale
Business-to-business and wholesale merchants.
B2B / Wholesale ≤ $1,000
1.60%
B2B / Wholesale > $1,000
2.00%
Travel & Entertainment
Travel agencies, airlines, hotels, and entertainment merchants.
T&E ≤ $1,000
1.60%
T&E > $1,000
2.40%
Prepaid
Prepaid American Express card transactions.
Prepaid ≤ $200
1.60%
Prepaid > $200
2.00%
Other
All other merchant categories not listed above.
Other ≤ $500
1.60%
Other > $500
2.00%
Canadian USD Transactions
Transactions processed in USD by Canadian merchants.
Canadian USD Transactions — Any Size
2.20%
Assessments & Association Fees
In addition to the OptBlue discount rates, American Express charges network-level fees on applicable transactions. These fees are set by American Express and apply uniformly to all payment processors.
Fee Name
Amount
Amex Network Fee — Applies to all transactions
0.1356%
Amex International Cross-Border Fee — Applies to all international transactions
0.678%
Amex Keyed Fee — Applies to all manually keyed transactions
0.339%
Helcim Network Fees
The acquirer network fee below is not charged by the American Express card network, but instead is charged by Helcim's acquiring bank to access the American Express network. This fee is applied to all American Express transactions as part of our Interchange Plus pricing model.
Fee Name
Amount
Acquirer Network Fee — Applies to all transactions
0.03% + 3¢
Notes
1 HST is charged to the acquirer/processor on network card-brand, association and cross-border fees. Because this is an absorbed cost by the acquirer who are not allowed to claim ITCs in Canada, the HST on the card-brand fee cannot be used as an ITC by the merchant. Does not apply to interchange, per-transaction, or cost+ fees.
Transparent pricing. Always.
With Interchange Plus pricing, you see exactly what goes to the card network and what goes to Helcim. No hidden markups, no bundled rates, no surprises on your statement.
No hidden fees
Interchange Plus Pricing
No contracts
The Helcim promise