Visa's Fixed Acquirer Network Fee is a charge assessed by Visa to all acquirers for card-based transactions. The fee is assessed on a per-transaction basis and is paid to the acquirer by the merchant. The fee is used to help offset the costs associated with providing card-based payment processing services, including but not limited to, costs related to fraud prevention, network operations, and cardholder account management.
The Fixed Acquirer Network Fee is assessed on all transactions that are processed through the Visa network, regardless of the card type used. The fee is typically passed on to the merchant by the acquirer in the form of a surcharge. Merchants should contact their acquirer to inquire about the specific surcharge amount being assessed.
The Fixed Acquirer Network Fee is not a new fee, but rather a rebranding of the Base II Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) that has been in place for many years. The name change took effect in April 2018.
Visa Fixed Acquirer Network Fee Schedule
The following table lists the current Visa Fixed Acquirer Network Fee Schedule. Fees are effective as of April 2018 and are assessed on a per-transaction basis.
Transaction Type Fee Amount(USD) swiped or dipped transactions 0.11 keyed-in transactions 0.15 e-commerce transactions 0.30
As you can see from the table, the fees vary depending on the type of transaction. For example, keyed-in transactions (where the card number is manually entered) have a higher fee than swiped or dipped transactions (where the card is physically present). This is because keyed-in transactions are considered to be higher risk, and thus the acquirer needs to offset the costs associated with fraud prevention.
The e-commerce transaction fee is also higher than the other types of transactions because of the additional costs associated with processing these types of payments. E-commerce transactions typically require special security measures to protect both the merchant and cardholder from fraud. These measures can include things like address verification and 3-D Secure.
Visa Fixed Acquirer Network Fee Surcharge
As mentioned earlier, the Visa Fixed Acquirer Network Fee is typically passed on to the merchant by the acquirer in the form of a surcharge. The surcharge is a percentage of the total transaction amount, and the specific amount will vary depending on the acquirer.
For example, if an acquirer charges a 1% surcharge on all Visa transactions, and a merchant processes a $100 transaction, the merchant would be charged an additional $1 in fees. This surcharge would be in addition to any other fees that the merchant may be responsible for, such as the interchange fee.
Visa Fixed Acquirer Network Fee Waiver
In some cases, acquirers may waive the Visa Fixed Acquirer Network Fee for certain types of transactions. For example, an acquirer may choose to waive the fee for charitable donations or government payments. Merchants should contact their acquirer to inquire about any fee waiver opportunities that may be available
