2025 U.S. Interchange Rate Reference

Summary of the most common Visa, Mastercard, Discover & Amex published rates in effect after the April 2025 updates.
All figures shown as % + $ per transaction.

Interchange rates are the base fees that a merchant’s bank (the “acquirer”) pays to the customer’s card‑issuing bank every time a credit or debit card is used. Set by the card networks—Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express—these non‑negotiable rates help fund fraud prevention, rewards programs, and the global payments infrastructure. Interchange is expressed as a percentage of the sale plus a per‑transaction fee, e.g. 1.51 % + $0.10.

Because interchange makes up the largest portion of your overall payment‑processing cost, the key to lower fees is maximizing how often your transactions qualify for the lowest interchange “buckets.” Factors include card type (debit vs. rewards credit), transaction method (card‑present EMV, contactless, e‑commerce), and industry category. A transparent processor like Centaurus passes interchange through at cost and adds only a small, clearly disclosed markup—so you always know exactly what you’re paying and why.