Set by Discover
Interchange rates are determined by Discover and apply equally to all processors and acquirers. No processor can negotiate a lower interchange rate.
Discover Interchange Rates Canada.
Discover is one of the top four credit cards in North America, along with Visa, Mastercard and American Express — and is especially common with younger consumers. By accepting Discover, your customers can pay in-person, by phone and online. Below is a full breakdown of Discover's current Canadian interchange rates — the base cost charged by the cardholder's bank on every transaction. At Helcim, we pass these rates directly to you with our transparent Interchange Plus pricing.
Multiple Tiers
Rates vary by card type (Consumer, Infinite, Corporate), how the card is entered (chip, keyed, online), and the merchant category.
Full Transparency
With Interchange Plus, you see the exact interchange cost on your statement. Helcim only adds a small, transparent margin on top.
Canada
Discover Credit Card Interchange Rates
These are the base interchange rates charged by the cardholder's bank on every Discover credit transaction. The rate depends on how the card is presented (swiped, keyed, or online) and the card tier (Consumer, Premium, Premium Plus, Commercial).
Card Type
Interchange Rate
Card-Present (Chip / Tap / Swipe)
Transactions where the physical card is present at the point of sale — includes chip-insert, contactless tap, and magnetic swipe. These typically have the lowest interchange rates because they carry less fraud risk.
Swipe/Chip Consumer
1.450%
Swipe/Chip Premium
2.050%
Swipe/Chip Premium Plus
1.800%
Swipe/Chip Commercial
2.000%
Keyed (Card-Not-Present)
The card number is manually keyed into a terminal, POS, or online checkout. These carry higher rates than card-present due to increased fraud risk.
Keyed Consumer
1.720%
Keyed Premium
2.100%
Keyed Premium Plus
2.600%
Keyed Commercial
2.650%
Recurring Payments
Applies to subscription and recurring billing transactions where the cardholder has authorized ongoing charges — such as gym memberships, SaaS, or insurance premiums.
Recurring Consumer
1.370%
Recurring Premium
1.600%
Recurring Premium Plus
2.050%
Recurring Commercial
2.000%
Assessments & Association Fees
In addition to interchange, Discover charges network-level fees (assessments) on every transaction. These fees are set by Discover and apply uniformly to all payment processors. They cover the cost of operating the Discover network, fraud prevention programs, and cross-border settlement.
Fee Name
Amount
Discover Card-Brand
0.071%
Discover International Cross-Border (CAD)
0.452%
Notes
1 HST is charged to the acquirer/processor on network card-brand, association and cross-border fees. Discover's listed card-brand fee is 0.063%. 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