Before you checkout at any local grocery store you'll be
asked whether you want to pay via debit or credit, nobody uses those green
bills anymore.Your choice of payment is
one that benefits you as the customer, maybe you'll earn points or maybe it
doesn't matter to you.Well, my weekend
trip to the grocery store got me wondering how debit and credit payments affect
the merchant, and if the merchant benefits more from one than the other.
Processing Fees
Visa and MasterCard:
When a Visa or MasterCard transaction occurs there are four
parties involved...
- The
cardholder
(the customer or purchaser)
- The
issuer
(the financial institution that issued the credit card to the
cardholder)
- The
merchant
(the person or business selling a product or service)
- The
acquirer
(the merchant's financial institution)
American
Express and Discover:
When an American Express or Discover transaction occurs
there are three parties involved...
- The
cardholder
- The
merchant
- The
credit card company
(American Express and Discover act as both the issuer
and the acquirer)
When you or any business decides to accept credit and debit
cards as forms of payment you must first negotiate what is called a
"merchant discount fee" with your financial institution, the acquirer.
The merchant discount fee is deducted from each transaction when a customer
uses a credit or debit card to pay.In
the case of American Express and Discover, you negotiate this fee directly with
them since they act as the financial institution and credit card company.A large part of the merchant discount fee is
the "interchange transaction fee" which is paid to the credit or
debit card issuer (the customer's financial institution) by the acquirer.The fee rates vary depending on certain
factors which we will explain below.
Credit Card
Interchange Fee Rates
The four main factors for determining a merchant's
interchange fee rates are listed below.These factors only apply to Visa and MasterCard because American Express
and Discover do not disclose how their rates are determined.
- Card Type
(Premium cards or those offering rewards normally have higher rates than
standard credit cards)
- Industry
or Category
(Industries that do not process many credit cards have lower
rates than those who process many credit cards)
- Size
(More transactions mean lower rates)
- Processing
Type
(Transactions via the internet have higher rates than those where the
credit card is present due to an increased chance of fraud)
Debit Card
Transactions
Just like credit card transactions, a merchant must also
negotiate a discount fee for processing debit cards.However, the interchange rates are often
lower for debit cards than credit cards since the funds are immediately removed
from the cardholder's account.Since the
issuer is receiving a smaller amount for debit card transactions than credit
cards, they sometimes charge the cardholder a fee every time the debit card is
used.Or, the issuer may require the
cardholder to make a minimum number of debit purchases each month otherwise a
fee will be imposed.The issuer prefers
their cardholders to pay via credit card in order to receive a higher fee from
the acquirer, which ultimately comes out of the merchants pocket.
Final note,
Debit or Credit?
In 2014, customers prefer the convenience of paying with
debit and credit cards, that's a fact.Staying in business and increasing sales means following the trends.It's important you research all the options
to find the lowest rates but what is more beneficial for you the merchant,
accepting debit or credit?Debit cards,
this is because the rates are lower since the money is withdrawn directly from
the cardholder's account.