The April 2025 updates have arrived.
Every year in April and October, the card brands update processing rates and rules. This is a summary of the rate and rule changes that will impact the broadest number of merchants.
Visa
Visa Commercial Enhanced Data Program:
On April 11, 2025, Visa introduced the Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP) for US Small Business and Commercial Credit card products. The program offers lower interchange rates for merchants who submit high quality Level 2 and Level 3 data. Filler data is not permitted and arithmetic validation is required. The rollout of the program started in April and will continue through October 2025 as follows:
- Starting in April 2025, each transaction processed through CEDP will be assessed a 0.05% fee.
- In October 2025, Visa will introduce new Level 3 interchange rates which are lower than current Level 3 interchange rates. Level 2 transactions will qualify for the new Level 3 interchange rates as well. These rates are lower than current Level 2 interchange rates.
- Starting in October 2025, merchants will need to meet enhanced data standards to qualify for Level 2 and Level 3 interchange rates, and merchants will need to include an additional field (merchant verification status) in the outgoing message to Visa for all Level 2 and Level 3 transactions.
- Starting in October 2025, Visa will begin auditing data accuracy; if it determines that a processed transaction did not meet the CEDP enhanced data standards, Visa will send an adjustment on the transaction, revising the interchange rate from the Level 2 or Level 3 incentive rate to the applicable non-incentive interchange rate.
- In April 2026, Visa plans to sunset the Commercial and Small Business Level 2 interchange program.
- The Fleet fuel-only Level 2 programs are excluded from CEDP and will continue to operate beyond April 2026.
Updates to CPS Programs to Support Unattended Cardholder Activated Terminal Transactions:
Effective April 11, 2025, Visa is allowing transactions from unattended cardholder activated terminals to qualify for card-present interchange programs.
Changes to Authorization Decline Response Codes:
Effective April 11, 2025, Visa introduced two new authorization response decline codes; Transaction not Supported/Blocked by Issuer (5C) and Blocked by Cardholder/Contact Cardholder (9G).
Mastercard
Mastercard Acquirer Credential Continuity Program Fee:
Effective April 1, 2025, Mastercard increased the Acquirer Credential Continuity fee from $0.03 to $0.09 per recurring payment transaction processed with an outdated credential.
Mastercard Flex Program Introduced:
Effective April 1, 2025, Mastercard introduced a global commercial credit program called the Mastercard Flex Program (MFP). The program is intended for non-travel flows on B2B platforms with a flexible interchange structure based on tiers. Ther will be a 0.10% fee is assessed on all transactions participating in this program.
Introducing New Decline Response Code Values:
In April, Mastercard introduced two new decline response codes to clarify if transaction authorization declines are related to closed accounts or accounts not yet activated. The new decline response code values are Closed Accounts (46) and Account Not Yet Activated (72).
American Express
OptBlue Program Pricing Changes:
In April 2025, American Express made revisions to the OptBlue Pricing Program for the Insurance category as follows:
Discover Card
Updated Debt Repayment Qualification Requirements:
In April, Discover updated the qualification requirements for Debt Repayment Interchange programs. The POS Data Special Condition Indicator of “D” must be used. All other qualification criteria remain unchanged.
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