How To - Use this guide to ensure you meet compliance requirements of cardholders for better interchange rates by sending Level 2 and Level 3 transactional data with your transaction using Portal, PayFields, or API options.

What is Level 2 / Level 3 Data?

Level 2 / Level 3 data refers to the additional transaction data provided by Merchants and used by credit card companies to classify a payment processor into different interchange rates.

Level I data is required to process any credit card payments and is the default for all merchants unless additional Level 2 and/or Level 3 data is captured with each transaction.

Level 1 data requirements:

  • Merchant Name

  • Transaction Amount

  • Transaction Date

  • Credit card number 

  • Card Expiration date

  • Customer Billing address

  • Customer Zip code

This data is used by credit card companies, like Visa and MasterCard, to determine your interchange rate based on your risk. Your risk is reduced by providing them with more information regarding each transaction, such as Sales Tax, Merchant Tax ID Number, and Invoice Number.

Level 2 and Level 3 transactional data can be captured using:

  • Portal Create Payments page

  • Portal PayFields

  • Portal PayFrames

  • Payrix API.


How to Send Level 2 Transactional Data

Expand

Standard Data Requirements

Level 2 standard data requirements:

  • *All Level I Data Requirements

  • Sales tax amount

  • Customer Code

  • Merchant Zip Code

  • Merchant Tax Identification Number

  • Invoice Number

  • Order Number

Value

Description

txns.tax

Sales Tax Amount

txns.order

Order Number (or Custom Code)


Visa Requirements

Card Type Qualifications for Level 2:

  • Business Card

  • Corporate Card

  • Purchasing Card

All MCCs are Visa compliant except the following:

Visa Non-Compliant MCCs List

  • 30003999: Airlines/Car Rental Companies/Hotels

  • 4112: Passenger Railways

  • 4411: Steamship and Cruise Lines

  • 4511: Airlines and Air Carriers

  • 4722: Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

  • 5812: Eating Places and Restaurants

  • 5814: Fast Food Restaurants

  • 5962: Direct Marketing – Travel Related Arrangements Services (High Risk)

  • 5966: Direct Marketing – Outbound Telemarketing Merchant (High Risk)

  • 5967: Direct Marketing – Inbound Teleservices Merchant (High Risk)

  • 7011: Lodging – Hotels, Motels, and Resorts

  • 7512: Automobile Rental Agency

  • 7513: Truck & Utility Trailer Rentals

Additional Visa Requirements

  • The transaction must be CPS (Visa’s Custom Payment Service) compliant.

  • A capture request must follow authorization request:
    Within 1 business day (no more than 24 hours between auth and capture)
    or
    Within 7 days (for eligible large ticket transactions using corporate/purchasing cards).

  • Must be authorized online and cannot be at a CAT (cardholder activated terminal) location.

  • The transaction must include a non-zero tax amount

  • Card-not-present transactions require AVS (Address Verification System)(except Corporate Card and Purchasing Card, which are always exempt from AVS).


MasterCard Requirements

Card Type Qualifications for Level 2:

  • Business Card

  • Corporate Card

  • Purchasing Card

All MCCs are MasterCard compliant except the following:

MasterCard Non-Compliant MCCs List

  • 30003999: Airlines/Car Rental Companies/Hotels

  • 4112: Passenger Railways

  • 4411: Steamship and Cruise Lines

  • 4511: Airlines and Air Carriers

  • 4722: Travel Agencies and Tour Operators

  • 5812: Eating Places and Restaurants

  • 5814: Fast Food Restaurants

  • 5962: Direct Marketing – Travel Related Arrangements Services (High Risk)

  • 5966: Direct Marketing – Outbound Telemarketing Merchant (High Risk)

  • 5967: Direct Marketing – Inbound Teleservices Merchant (High Risk)

  • 7011: Lodging – Hotels, Motels, and Resorts

  • 7512: Automobile Rental Agency

  • 7513: Truck & Utility Trailer Rentals

Additional MasterCard Requirements

  • Clearing must follow an authorization request:
    Within 3 business days (no more than 2 days between auth and capture)

Using the Portal

Expand

To capture Level 2 transaction data using the Create Payments page:

  1. Click Create Payments from the Menu bar on the left hand side (under the Payments tab)

  2. After filling out all applicable data, click the “Submit this transaction as LEVEL 2 PROCESSING” checkbox under “Customer Details” to reveal Level 2 Data Fields.

  3. Fill in the TAX and ORDER NUMBER fields and click Process Payment.

Using PayFields

Expand

To capture Level 2 transaction data using PayFields:

  1. Add two custom fields using the Portal or via the API and label them Sales Tax (“tax”) and Order Number (“order”)

  2. Set each custom field as required to ensure your Level 2 transaction data requirements are met.

Using the Payrix API

Expand

Level 2 Code Example

{
    "merchant": "t1_mer_12345",
    "type": "2",
    "origin": "2",
    "payment": {
        "number": "4111111111111111",
        "cvv": "123"
    },
    "expiration": "1224",
    "tax": "100",
    "total": "7799",
    "allowPartial": "1",
    "order": "INVOICE#1"
}
CODE


How to Send Level 3 Transactional Data

Expand

Standard Data Requirements

Level 3 standard data requirements:

  • *All Level I Data Requirements

  • *All Level 2 Data Requirements

  • Sales tax amount

  • Customer code

  • Merchant zip code

  • Merchant tax identification number

  • Invoice number

  • Order number

Value

Description

productCode

Product Code

itemDescription

Item Description

quantity

Item Quantity

unitOfMeasure

Item Unit of Measure

Additional Requirements (Visa & MasterCard)

  • A minimum of one valid Level 3 data line-item (above)

  • Qualified Card Types for Level 3: MBS, MEF card types are not eligible for Data Rate III.

Large Ticket Requirements

Large Tickets transactions refer to transactions with a larger dollar amount.
Depending on the size of your transaction, your interchange rate may change, offering better pricing. Both Visa and Mastercard offer large ticket programs for high dollar value transactions.

  • Submission Requirements: Clearing must follow authorization within 2 business days (no more than 1 day between auth and capture)

  • Qualified Card Types for Level 3: MAP, MAQ, MEF card types are not eligible for Large Ticket Transactions.

Using the Portal

Expand

To capture Level 2 transaction data using the Create Payments page:

  1. Click Create Payments from the Menu bar on the left hand side (under the Payments tab)

  2. After filling out all applicable data, click the “Submit this transaction as LEVEL 2 PROCESSING” checkbox under Customer Details to reveal Level 2 data fields.

  3. Fill in the TAX and ORDER NUMBER fields then click the “Submit this transaction as LEVEL 3 PROCESSING (All fields must be completed)” checkbox to reveal Level 3 data fields.

  4. Fill in the SHIPPING AMOUNT, DUTY AMOUNT, ORDER DISCOUNT fields. Then proceed to the Order Items section.

  5. Fill in the NAME, DESCRIPTION, COMMODITY CODE, PRODUCT CODE, ITEM PRICE, ITEM DISCOUNT, QUANTITY, UNIT OF MEASURE, ITEM TOTAL for each item.

Note: You can add additional item to the transaction by clicking the (plus) Add Item button in the lower left hand corner of the Order Items section. Each additional item must have the all fields above for Level 3 Transaction Processing

Using PayFields

Expand

To capture Level 3 transaction data using PayFields:

  1. Add six custom fields via the Payrix API to your custom PayField and label them as follows:

    1. Sales Tax (“tax”)

    2. Order Number (“order”)

    3. Product Code (“productCode“)

    4. Item Description (“itemDescription“)

    5. Item Quantity (“quantity“)

    6. Item Unit of Measure (“unitOfMeasure“)

  2. Set each custom field as required to ensure your Level 3 transaction data requirements are met.

Using the Payrix API

Expand

Level 3 Code Example

{
   "merchant":"t1_mer_12345",
   "payment":{
      "number":"4111111111111111",
      "cvv":"123"
   }
   "expiration":"1224",
   "type":2,
   "order":"INVOICE#1",
   "total":7799,
   "tax":100,
   "items":[
      {
         "item":"Line Item #1",
         "itemDescription":"Blue",
         "quantity":1,
         "price":7799,
         "um":"EACH",
         "commodityCode":"11119999",
         "total":5799,
         "discount":-2000,
         "productCode":"UPC12345"
      },
      {
         "item":"Line Item #2",
         "quantity":2,
         "price":1000,
         "um":"EACH",
         "commodityCode":"11119999",
         "total":2000,
         "discount":0,
         "productCode":"UPC12345"
      }
   ]
}
CODE