Decoding Discover Interchange Rates

It has gained popularity among younger consumers for its low introductory rates, no annual fees and rewards.

Despite its wild popularity, many businesses have chosen not to accept Discover cards because of Discover’s perceived “expensive” rates.

Is Discover really more expensive than card brands like Visa, Mastercard and American Express? Let’s find out…

What Fees Are You Required to Pay to Accept Discover Payments?

Every time a cardholder makes a payment with their Discover credit card, you pay what are known as interchange fees or card brand fees.

The interchange fees or rates are collected by Discover and are typically used to cover the following costs:

Credit and Debit Assessments

These fees can’t be avoided no matter which card issuer you choose. They are applied to gross credit and debit transaction volume and are paid directly to Discover.

International Processing Fee

If a customer makes a purchase using a card originating from outside the US, you will be subject to an international processing fee. You may or may not see the international fee on your statement depending on your pricing model.

Processing Integrity Fee

If a transaction doesn’t go through within a specific period of time, you may be subject to what’s called a processing integrity fee. Typically, the time window is 24 hours for “card present” transactions and 72 hours for “card not present” sales.

Card-Not-Present Surcharge

These are fees you might typically see in e-commerce or mail-order transactions when the card is not physically present. Because these are considered riskier transactions, the fee is slightly higher than “card present” transactions.

Account Status Inquiry Fee

This is a fee that is imposed when you verify cardholder information without actually charging the card.

While these fees may be collected by your processor, they are typically transferred in their entirety to Discover. You can think of these fees as the cost for accepting Discover credit cards in your store.

What Are The Current Interchange Rates for Discover?

Discover sets its interchange rates each year. They may go up or down or remain unchanged.

Here are the current U.S. Discover interchange rates:

Debit Card-Present
Discover Debit 1.100% + $0.16
Discover Debit Regulated 0.050% + $0.22
Debit Keyed
Discover Debit Keyed 1.750% + $0.20
Discover Debit Keyed Regulated 0.050% + $0.22
Credit Card-Present
Discover Consumer 1.560% + $0.10
Discover Rewards 1.710% + $0.10
Discover Premium 1.710% + $0.10
Discover Premium Plus 2.150% + $0.10
Discover Commercial 2.300% + $0.10
Credit Keyed
Discover Keyed Consumer 1.870% + $0.10
Discover Keyed Rewards 1.970% + $0.10
Discover Keyed Premium 2.000% + $0.10
Discover Keyed Premium Plus 2.400% + $0.10
Discover Keyed Commercial 2.300% + $0.10
Recurring
Discover Debit Recurring 1.200% + $0.05
Discover Debit Recurring Regulated 0.050% + $0.22
Discover Recurring Consumer 1.350% + $0.05
Discover Recurring Premium 1.350% + $0.05
Discover Recurring Premium Plus 1.800% + $0.05
Discover Recurring Commercial 2.300% + $0.10
International (In-Person)
Discover Card Present International Debit/Prepaid 1.200%
Discover Card Present International Consumer 1.650%
Discover Card Present International Rewards 1.650%
Discover Card Present International Premium 1.650%
Discover Card Present International Premium Plus 1.650%
Discover Card Present International Commercial 1.900%
International (Keyed)
Discover Keyed International Debit/Prepaid 1.700% + $0.10
Discover Keyed International Consumer 1.700% + $0.10
Discover Keyed International Rewards 1.700% + $0.10
Discover Keyed International Premium 1.700% + $0.10
Discover Keyed International Premium Plus 1.790% + $0.10
Discover Keyed International Commercial 1.900% + $0.10
Assessment & Association Fees
Discover Card Brand 0.130%
Discover Data Usage Fee $1.95
Discover Data Transmission Fee $0.25
Discover International Cross Border 0.800%
Discover International Processing Fee 0.500%

* Please note that we have listed the most common interchange rate qualifications. Get in touch with Discover Card Network for a complete list of US interchange rates.

Is Discover Right For Your Business?

Discover is quickly growing in popularity, especially among younger consumers.

Not sure if accepting Discover cards is right for your business?

Speak to one of our representatives to see how accepting Discover cards in your business may impact your bottom line.