What is a card scheme fee? The network charge inside every card payment
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
- 1Your card appears in your app
- 2Tap it to pay in a shop
- 3See every payment as it happens
A scheme fee is what card networks like Visa and Mastercard charge for using their network to authorise, clear and settle a card payment. It's paid by the business's payment provider and usually passed on to the business.
Scheme fee vs interchange
Interchange goes to the customer's bank that issued the card. Scheme fees go to the card network itself. Both are part of the cost of taking a card payment, alongside the provider's own margin.
What affects scheme fees
- Where the card was issued, as cross-border payments usually cost more.
- Whether the card was present or the payment was online.
- The type of card, such as consumer or commercial.
- The size and number of payments.
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Why they're hard to see
Scheme fees are made up of many small charges and aren't capped by law in the same way as UK and EU consumer interchange. On interchange++ pricing they're listed separately; on blended pricing they're built into the one rate.
Where SendPay fits
SendPay isn't an acquirer. SendPay platforms let your customers take payments by payment link, invoice and online store, and issue branded Visa cards, powered by licensed partners.
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SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.
Questions people ask
What would interchange++ pricing cost me?
Compare it with a blended card rate.
Interchange++ vs blended calculator →Read next
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.