Set by Visa
Interchange rates are determined by Visa and apply equally to all processors and acquirers. No processor can negotiate a lower interchange rate.
Visa Interchange Rates USA
Visa is one of the most commonly held and accepted credit cards in the US and around the world. Below is a full breakdown of Visa's current US 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.
Understanding interchange
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.
United States
Visa Credit Card Interchange Rates
These are the base interchange rates charged by the cardholder's bank on every Visa credit transaction. The rate depends on how the card is presented (swiped, keyed, or online) and the card tier (Consumer, Rewards, Corporate, etc.).
| 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. |
|
| Visa CPS Retail | 1.510% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Traditional | 1.650% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature | 1.650% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.100% + $0.10 |
| Visa Corporate | 2.500% + $0.10 |
| Visa Business | 2.200% + $0.10 |
| Visa Purchasing | 2.500% + $0.10 |
| Visa Corporate Level 3 Large Ticket | 1.450% + $35.00 |
|
Keyed (Card-Not-Present)
The card number is manually keyed into a terminal, POS, or online checkout. These carry slightly higher rates than card-present due to increased fraud risk. |
|
| Visa Keyed CPS Retail | 1.900% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Rewards Traditional | 2.050% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Rewards Signature | 2.060% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.520% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Corporate | 2.700% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Business | 2.800% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Purchasing | 2.700% + $0.10 |
| Visa Corporate Level 2 | 2.850% + $0.10 |
| Visa Corporate Level 3 | 2.600% + $0.10 |
| Visa Corporate Level 3 Large Ticket | 1.450% + $35.00 |
Visa Debit Interchange Rates
Visa Debit cards have a separate interchange schedule from credit cards. Regulated debit cards (issued by banks with over $10 billion in assets) are capped under the Durbin Amendment at 0.05% + $0.22.
| Card Type | Interchange Rate |
|---|---|
|
Card-Present
Debit transactions where the physical card is present at the terminal. |
|
| Swipe/Chip Consumer | 0.800% + $0.15 |
| Visa Debit CPS Regulated | 0.050% + $0.22 |
| Visa Debit Prepaid | 1.150% + $0.15 |
| Visa Debit Business | 1.700% + $0.10 |
| Visa Debit Business Regulated | 0.050% + $0.22 |
|
Keyed (Card-Not-Present)
Debit transactions where the card number is entered manually or online. |
|
| Visa Debit Keyed CPS | 1.650% + $0.15 |
| Visa Debit Keyed CPS Regulated | 0.050% + $0.22 |
| Visa Debit Keyed Prepaid | 1.750% + $0.20 |
| Visa Debit Keyed Business | 2.450% + $0.10 |
| Visa Debit Business Regulated | 0.050% + $0.22 |
Small Business Rates
Visa offers preferential interchange rates for qualifying small businesses. These rates are typically lower than standard rates and are designed to help smaller merchants compete.
| Card Type | Interchange Rate |
|---|---|
|
Credit Card-Present
In-person (chip, tap, swipe) transactions for qualifying small business merchants. |
|
| Visa CPS Retail | 1.290% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Traditional | 1.430% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature | 1.430% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 1.880% + $0.10 |
|
Credit Keyed
Keyed/online transactions processed by qualifying small business merchants. |
|
| Visa Keyed CPS Retail | 1.810% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Rewards Traditional | 1.960% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Rewards Signature | 1.960% + $0.10 |
| Visa Keyed Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.420% + $0.10 |
|
Healthcare
Reduced interchange rates for qualifying healthcare merchants (doctors, dentists, hospitals, etc.). |
|
| Visa CPS Retail | 1.420% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Traditional | 1.420% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature | 1.420% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.280% + $0.15 |
|
Services
Reduced interchange rates for qualifying service-industry merchants (utilities, insurance, professional services, etc.). |
|
| Visa CPS Retail | 1.500% + $0.15 |
| Visa Rewards Traditional | 1.550% + $0.15 |
| Visa Rewards Signature | 1.800% + $0.15 |
| Visa Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.320% + $0.15 |
|
Education
Reduced interchange rates for qualifying educational institutions (schools, universities, etc.). |
|
| Visa CPS Retail | 1.420% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Traditional | 1.420% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature | 1.420% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.130% + $0.15 |
Visa Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP)
Visa's CEDP program offers reduced interchange rates to merchants who submit enhanced Level 2/3 data on commercial card transactions. The "Verified (Product 3)" rate applies when the required data fields are provided with the transaction.
| Card Tier | Verified (Product 3) |
|---|---|
| Business Tier 1 | 1.75% + $0.10 |
| Business Tier 2 | 1.90% + $0.10 |
| Business Tier 3 | 1.95% + $0.10 |
| Business Tier 4 | 2.05% + $0.10 |
Credit Token and International
These rates apply to card-on-file token transactions (where the card number is stored and tokenized for future use) and international transactions where the cardholder's bank is in a different country than the merchant.
| Card Type | Interchange Rate |
|---|---|
|
Credit Token
Applies to transactions using stored card-on-file tokens — such as subscription services, one-click checkout, and recurring digital purchases. |
|
| Visa CPS Retail | 1.810% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Traditional | 1.960% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature | 1.960% + $0.10 |
| Visa Rewards Signature Preferred / Infinite | 2.420% + $0.10 |
|
International
Applied when the cardholder's bank is in a different country than the merchant. International transactions carry higher rates due to cross-border processing and currency conversion risk. |
|
| Visa International | 1.100% |
| Visa International Premium | 1.850% |
| Visa International Corporate | 2.000% |
| Visa International Keyed | 1.600% |
| Visa International Super Premium | 1.980% |
Assessments and Association Fees
In addition to interchange, Visa charges network-level fees (assessments) on every transaction. These fees are set by Visa and apply uniformly to all payment processors. They cover the cost of operating the Visa network, fraud prevention programs, and cross-border settlement.
| Fee Name | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visa Card-Brand | 0.1400% |
| Visa NAPF (Network Acquirer Processing Fee) — Credit | $0.0195 |
| Visa NAPF (Network Acquirer Processing Fee) — Debit | $0.0155 |
| Visa Clearing Access | $0.00180 |
| Visa Digital Commerce Fee | 0.008% (min $0.008) |
| Visa Commercial Solutions Fee | 0.010% |
| Visa CEDP Program Fee | 0.050% |
| Transaction Verification ($0) Domestic | $0.01130 |
| Transaction Verification ($0) International | $0.02260 |
| Visa Intl Acquirer Service Fee | 0.4500% |
| Visa Intl Acquirer Processing Fee — Credit | $0.0395 |
| Visa Intl Acquirer Processing Fee — Debit | $0.0355 |
| Annual Integrity Risk Program Fee ¹ | $25/year |
Visa FANF (Fixed Acquirer Network Fee)
Visa charges a monthly Fixed Acquirer Network Fee (FANF) based on the merchant's card-not-present volume tier. Card-present merchants pay a flat per-location fee instead. This fee is assessed monthly by Visa to all acquirers.
| Fee Tier | Amount |
|---|---|
|
Card-Present
Flat monthly fee for merchants with physical card-present locations. |
|
| Visa FANF — Card-Present Per Location | $2/month |
|
Card-Not-Present (By Monthly Visa Volume)
Tiered monthly fee based on total Visa keyed/online transaction volume. |
|
| Keyed Volume $1,000 – $3,999 | $7/month |
| Keyed Volume $4,000 – $7,999 | $9/month |
| Keyed Volume $8,000 – $39,999 | $15/month |
| Keyed Volume $40,000 – $199,999 | $45/month |
| Keyed Volume $200,000 – $799,999 | $160/month |
| Keyed Volume $800,000 – $1,999,999 | $450/month |
Notes
1 Annual fee applied to merchant categories: Direct Marketing/Inbound, Dating Services, Gambling, Pharmacies/Drug Stores, Quasi-Cash/Crypto, Computer/Network Services, Digital Games, Securities Dealer, Direct Marketing/Outbound, Direct Marketing/Subscriptions and Tobacco Sales.
Above are the most common interchange qualifications. For a complete list of US interchange rates, visit the Visa website below.
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