Level 3 data illustration

Lower your rates with Level 2 and Level 3 processing.

Save even more on your credit card processing using automatic Level 2/3 Interchange optimization with Helcim.

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Maximize savings on your payments with Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization.

Helcim optimizes interchange rates so your business can consistently benefit from reduced Interchange fees. Saving you time and resources that would otherwise be spent manually identifying and processing Level 3 transactions.

Maximize savings on your payments with Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization.

Helcim optimizes interchange rates so your business can consistently benefit from reduced Interchange fees. Saving you time and resources that would otherwise be spent manually identifying and processing Level 3 transactions.

Level 3 data second illustration
  • What is Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 credit card processing?

    There are three levels of credit card transactions. To qualify for each level, the business needs to provide different amounts of data related to the transaction.  The transaction level can also be restricted to what tier the card is eligible for.

    See data fields
  • Level 1

    Level 1 is the most basic and common type of credit card transaction.  This level only requires standard cardholder information such as  the merchant doing-business-as (DBA) name, and the amount and date of the transaction.

    See data fields
  • Level 2

    Level 2 requires all the data from a Level 1 transaction as well as additional data fields to qualify. This type of transaction requires data fields such as the merchant zip code, taxes, and customer details.

    See data fields
  • Level 3

    Level 3 data is the highest tier of credit card processing.  To qualify for this transaction level for Level 3 eligible cards,  apart from Level 1 and 2 data, additional information such as the invoice and order numbers, product and commodity codes, item description and quantity with the unit of measure, the extended amount, and both freight and duty would need to be included.

    See data fields

Data fields table

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Merchant DBA name
Billing ZIP code
Transaction amount
Sales tax amount
Customer reference number/code
Merchant ZIP/postal code
Tax ID Merchant minority code
Merchant state code
Ship-from ZIP/postal code
Ship-to ZIP/postal code
Invoice number
Order number
Item product code
Item commodity code
Item description
Item quantity
Item unit of measure
Item extended amount
Freight amount
Duty amount
Automatically save with Level 2 & 3

An example of Interchange reduction by Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization

Automatically save when you process Level 2/3 credit card transactions.

Helcim automatically retrieves and optimizes the data needed to qualify for Level 2/3 Interchange rates. Putting more savings back in your pocket, hassle-free.

With Helcim Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization you can save up to 25% on your processing fees including Helcim's Optimization fee.

FAQ.

  • How much can I save with Level 3 Interchange rates?

    You could see additional savings of about 1% or more on interchange fees when you qualify for Level 3 interchange rates. This can represent a significant reduction in expenses, particularly if your business processes a high volume of large B2B transactions.

  • What is Level 3 data?

    Level 3 data, also known as enhanced data, refers to the additional information included with a credit card transaction beyond the basic transaction details. This extra information is valuable for businesses that engage in B2B (business-to-business) or B2G (business-to-government) transactions. It typically includes:

    • Detailed line-item information about the products or services being purchased.
    • Customer-specific data, such as tax ID or customer code.
    • Transaction-specific data, like order number, invoice number, and ship-to and bill-to addresses.

  • What are the requirements for Level 3 processing?

    To qualify for Level 3 interchange rates, businesses need to:

    • Provide the required Level 3 data with the transaction
    • Accept the payment from a customer using a Level 3 Interchange eligible credit card

  • What is the Level 2/3 interchange rate?

    Level 2/3 interchange rates could vary significantly based on the card brand (Visa or Mastercard) and the credit card being used.The savings can further increase on large ticket purchases which are common for B2B transactions.

  • How can Level 2/3 data lower my rates?

    Level 2/3 card data provides more information to the card-issuing banks through the inclusion of the detailed data, which results in lower interchange rates. Helcim offers Interchange Plus pricing which means the savings from lower interchange rates gets passed on to you.

  • What is Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization?

    Helcim Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization identifies and upgrades eligible transactions automatically to provide better interchange rates. This involves optimizing the transaction using AI to include the required data and submit it to the card networks. With no additional work from your end, the transaction is upgraded to Level 2/3 and you benefit from lower interchange rates.


  • Is there any cost associated with Level 2/3 Interchange optimization?

    Significant technological investments and dedicated efforts have been invested in the development of Helcim Level 2/3 interchange optimization. As part of our mission to be the world's most loved payments company, it's important to us that the bulk of those savings go to our small business merchants. If your business qualifies for Level 2/3 transactions you’ll see details of your savings on your statement under Helcim Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization Savings Fee.

    When our system is able to automatically lower your Interchange fees, we pass on 70% of those savings to your business, and keep 30% for us. Please refer to our Fee Disclosures Fee Disclosures for more details.

  • When will Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization be available for Canadian merchants?

    Businesses who signed up for Helcim from December 1st, 2023 onward will automatically have access to Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization. If you signed up prior to December 1st, 2023 it will be automatically available for your business on March 1st, 2024. If you would like to benefit from interchange optimization before the launch date please reach out to our team at [email protected]

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