With credit card transactions, different levels of data submission are critical for businesses engaged in different types of transactions. Partners and Merchants can receive up to 40-100 basis points of reduced fees on their qualifying business and commercial card transactions.
There are three levels of interchange data submission available:
Level 1: Basic transaction data like card number, expiration date, CVV, and transaction amount that is required for standard business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and provide standard interchange rates.
Level 2: More detailed transaction data, like a sales tax and order number, is required for B2B transactions and can provide lower interchange rates.
Level 3: Comprehensive transaction data like line item details and shipping for B2B transactions can qualify for the lowest interchange rates.
Major card brands Visa & MasterCard each have specific requirements that merchants must adhere to to offer them the best interchange rates. American Express and Discover do not accept direct interchange data submissions for lower interchange rates at this time.
Tip
While not a requirement, it is recommended to submit the previous level of interchange data when submitting the following level. For example, when submitting Level 3 data, all Level 1 and Level 2 data requirements are already met to ensure the most visibility for Level 3 interchange rates.
Below is a breakdown of the key data required for Level 2 and Level 3 data submissions for each card brand.
Level 1 Interchange Data Requirements
All transactions, regardless of card brand, must meet these data requirements to qualify for basic interchange or Level 1:
Merchant and Transaction Information
Basic data provided about the Merchant and Transaction, including:
Merchant Name: The name of the Merchant business selling products or services.
Transaction Date: The date that the transaction took place.
Transaction Amount: The total amount of the transaction charged to the customer.
Customer / Cardholder Information
Essential customer and card data used to pay, including:
Customer Zip Code: The billing zip code on file with the customer’s credit card company.
Customer Billing Address: The full billing address on file with the customer’s credit card company.
Credit Card Number: The 15 (AMEX) or 16-digit credit card number shown on the customer’s card.
Card Expiration Date: The 4-digit, MMYY-format expiration date shown on the customer’s card.
Card CVV: The 3 or 4-digit security code shown on the customer’s card.
Commodity Codes
The Commodity Code must be submitted in numeric-only formatting to meet requirements. Merchants should utilize the National Institute of Governmental Purchasings' (NIGP) Commodity Codes.
The full code list is available via subscription here.
Level 2 and 3 Interchange Data Requirements
Each card brand will feature its list of requirements necessary to receive interchange rates by using Level 2 or Level 3 data to qualify on its card network. Each major card brand - Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover - has been listed below with individual details to clearly explain their requirements.
Once you are familiar with these requirements, see Submitting Level 2 and Level 3 Data with Transactions to learn the different methods available to submit this data.
Tip
For developers and Portal users, we recommend using Visa’s Level 2 and Level 3 requirements as your data submission foundation for Level 2 and Level 1 submission for any card brand.
Visa’s stringent standards cover all necessary elements for detailed transaction reporting.
Important!
For all
taxamount values, ensure the amount always corresponds to your local state or province regulations to ensure tax compliance.
Note
If you choose to optionally submit Level 2 data with Level 3 data, the tax rate must be set between 0.1% & 22% of the transaction amount when the tax amount is greater than $0.00.
Visa
Read more information about Visa requirements below:
Qualifying Card Types for Visa Interchange Data Submission
The following card types can be used for Level 2 data submission:
Corporate Purchasing
Business Credit
Enhanced Business Credit
Signature Business Credit
In addition to the above, the following card types can be used for Level 3 data submission:
Corporate Credit
Purchasing Credit
Important!
Commercial Prepaid card type is not eligible.
Level 2 Visa Interchange Data Requirements
Level 2 data must include all Level 1 data requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.
Sales Tax and Order Information
Sales tax information for each transaction including:
Sales Tax Amount: The total amount of sales tax applied to the transaction.
Important!
The tax amount must be between 0.1% - 22% of the payment total to qualify. This is submitted using either a Sale or a Capture transaction type.
Order Number: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Note
“Order Number”, “Invoice Number”, and “Customer Code” are interchangeable terms for Level 2 and Level 3 data submissions.
Iimportant!
This field cannot be blank, null, or all zeros and must contain a relevant value.
Level 3 Visa Interchange Data Requirements
Level 3 data must include all Level 2 data requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.
Item Details
Must provide detailed information for each item listed in a transaction including:
Item: Name or title of the item.
Description: A detailed description of the product or service sold.
Commodity Code: The total amount of sales tax applied to the transaction.
Important!
This field cannot be blank, null, or all zeros or spaces and must contain a relevant value.
Product Code: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Note
“Order Number”, “Invoice Number”, and “Customer Code” are interchangeable terms for Level 2 and Level 3 data submissions.
Important!
This field cannot be blank, null, or all zeros and must contain a relevant value.
Item Price: The total amount of sales tax applied to the transaction.
Item Discount: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Note
This value can be '0' if there is no applicable item discount.
Quantity: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Unit of Measure: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information. For example, each, kilogram, pound, month.
Item Total: Total transaction line item cost, calculated with quantity, unit price, discounts, tax, and shipping.
Discount, Shipping & Duty
Must provide shipping, duty, and tax information (if applicable) including:
Shipping Amount: The cost associated with transporting products from Merchant to customer.
Note
This value can be '0' if there is no applicable shipping amount.
Duty Amount: The monetary value of customs duties or taxes related to product import and export.
Note
This value can be '0' if there is no applicable duty amount.
Order Discount: Monetary reductions applied to the transaction total.
Note
This value can be '0' if there is no applicable order discount.
Tax: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Note
The tax amount can be zero (or the tax field can be omitted entirely). If the Merchant sends a tax amount greater than $0.00, it needs to be between 0.1% & 22% of the transaction amount.
Additional Visa Interchange Qualification Requirements
In addition to the interchange data requirements above, the Visa card network has specific additional requirements to qualify:
The transaction must be compliant with the Visa Custom Payment Service (CPS).
A ‘capture’ request must follow the ‘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).
Transaction must be authorized online and cannot be a cardholder-activated terminal (CAT) location.
Business Card type transactions must always include an Address Verification System (AVS) reference.
Visa Large Ticket Qualification Requirements
Large Ticket transactions refer to transactions with a larger total dollar amount.
Your interchange rate may change based on the transaction amount to offer better pricing from Visa’s large ticket program for high-dollar-value transactions.
In addition to the data requirements above, the Visa card network has specific additional requirements to qualify for Large Ticket interchange pricing:
Clearing must follow authorization within 2 business days (no more than 1 day between auth and capture)
The transaction amount must meet ticket thresholds: $6,980+
Prohibited Merchant Business Types
Any of the following Merchant Commercial Code (MCC) types are disqualified from Level 2 or Level 3 data submission for interchange rate improvements from Visa:
3000–3299: Airlines.
3501-3999: 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.
7519: Motor Home and Recreational Vehicle Rentals.
Mastercard
Read more information about MasterCard requirements below:
Qualifying Card Types for Mastercard Interchange Data Submission
The following card types can be used for Level 2 data submission:
Corporate Purchasing
Business Credit
Enhanced Business Credit
Signature Business Credit
Note
MasterCard uses the term “Data Rate 2 and 3” to refer to Level 2 and Level 3 interchange data when referring to corporate/business purchases and cards.
In addition to the above, the following card types can be used for Level 3 data submission:
Corporate Credit
Purchasing Credit
Important!
Commercial Prepaid card type is not eligible.
The following card types are ineligible for Level 3 data submission with MasterCard:
MBS: Mastercard B2B Product 1
MEF: Mastercard Electronic Payment Account
Level 2 Mastercard Interchange Data Requirements
Level 2 data must include all Level 1 data requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.
Sales Tax and Order Information
Sales tax information for each transaction including:
Sales Tax Amount: The total amount of sales tax applied to the transaction.
Important!
The tax amount must be between 0.1% - 30% of the payment total to qualify. This is submitted using either a Sale or a Capture transaction type.
Order Number: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Note
“Order Number”, “Invoice Number”, and “Customer Code” are interchangeable terms for Level 2 and Level 3 data submissions.
Important!
This field cannot be blank, null, or all zeros and must contain a relevant value.
Level 3 Mastercard Interchange Data Requirements
Level 3 data must include all Level 2 data requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.
Item Details
Must provide detailed information for each item listed in a transaction including:
Item: Name or title of the item.
Description: A detailed description of the product or service sold.
Line Item Total: Total transaction line item cost, calculated with quantity, unit price, discounts, tax, and shipping.
Product Code: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Important!
This field cannot be blank, null, or all zeros and must contain a relevant value.
Quantity: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Unit of Measure: A unique identifier used by the merchant to locate the specific transaction information.
Note
When submitting a Level 3 transaction, the tax amount must be a percent between 0.1% & 30% of the transaction; it cannot be zero unless tax-exempt status is enabled by the Facilitator.
Important!
The following card types are ineligible for Level 3 interchange with MasterCard:
MBS: Mastercard B2B Product 1
MEF: Mastercard Electronic Payment Account
Additional Mastercard Interchange Qualification Requirements
In addition to the interchange data requirements above, the MasterCard card network has specific additional requirements to qualify:
Clearing must follow an authorization request within 3 business days (no more than 2 days between Authorization and Capture).
Mastercard Large Ticket Qualification Requirements
Large Ticket transactions refer to transactions with a larger total dollar amount. Your interchange rate may change based on the transaction amount to offer better pricing from MasterCard’s large ticket program for high-dollar-value transactions.
In addition to the data requirements above, the MasterCard network has specific additional requirements to qualify for Large Ticket interchange pricing:
Clearing must follow authorization within 2 business days (no more than 1 day between auth and capture).
The transaction amount must meet ticket thresholds: $7,255+
Important!
The following card types are ineligible for MasterCard’s large ticket program:
MAP: Mastercard Commercial Payments Account
MAQ: Mastercard Prepaid Commercial Payments Account
MEF: Mastercard Electronic Payment Account
Prohibited Merchant Business Types
Any of the following Merchant Commercial Code (MCC) types are disqualified from Level 2 or Level 3 data submission for interchange rate improvements.
MasterCard Non-Compliant MCCs List:
3000–3299: Airlines.
3501-3999: 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.
7519: Motor Home and Recreational Vehicle Rentals.
American Express & Discover
There is no additional work or line item data submission required by American Express or Discover.
Both card brands provide lower interchange rates on their respective networks, calculated and adjusted based exclusively on the cardholder’s card type (e.g. business card, corporate card, etc.).