YOUR #1 CREDIT CARD RESOURCE

Interchange fees

Interchange fees are charged by the merchant's acquirer to a card-accepting merchant as component of the so-called merchant discount fee. The merchant pays a merchant discount fee that is typically 2 to 3 percent (this is negotiated, but will vary not only from merchant to merchant, but also from card to card, with business cards and rewards cards generally costing the merchants more to process), which is why some merchants prefer cash, debit cards, or even checks. The majority of this fee, called the interchange fee, goes to the issuing bank, but parts of it go to the processing network, the card brand (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, etc.), and the merchant's acquirer. The interchange fee that applies to a particular merchant is a function of many variables including the type of merchant, the merchant's average ticket dollar amount, whether the cards are physically present, if the card's magnetic stripe is read or if the transaction is hand-keyed, the specific type of card, when the transaction is settled, the authorized and settled transaction amounts, etc. For a typical credit card issuer, interchange fee revenues may represent about fifteen percent of total revenues, but this will vary greatly with the type of customers represented in their portfolio. Customers who carry high balances will have low interchange revenues, while customers who use their cards for business and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on their cards will have very healthy interchange revenues.

Interest on outstanding balances

Customers who do not pay in full the amount owed on their monthly statement (the "balance") by the due date (that is, at the end of the "grace period") owe interest ("finance charges"). These customers are known in the industry as "revolvers". Those who pay in full (pay the entire balance) do not. These customers are known in the industry as "transactors" or "convenience users". Interest charges vary widely from card issuer to card issuer. Often, there are "teaser" rates in effect for initial periods of time (as low as zero percent for, say, six months), whereas rates for those with poor credit can be as high as 30 percent (annualized) or occasionally more. In the U.S., rules governing interest rates are set at the state level; some banks have chosen to establish their credit card operations in states such as South Dakota that have less restrictive limits on interest rates. See Usury laws.

Fees charged to customers

The major fees are for (1) late payments; (2) charges that result in exceeding the credit limit on the card (whether done deliberately or by mistake); (3) Returned check fees or payment processing fees (eg phone payment fee); (4) cash advances and convenience checks (often 3 percent of the amount); (5) transactions in a foreign currency (as much as 3 percent of the amount; a few financial institutions charge no fee for this -- it is worth noting as an aside that the credit card issuer charges a fee on top of the international bank rate when converting currency, which in most circumstances is a better rate than is available elsewhere, even with the fee added on); and (6) membership fees (annual or monthly), sometimes a percentage of the credit limit

Get a Prepaid Credit Card Now