The three layers of every card payment
When your customer pays by card, not one party earns from it but three. IC++ makes those three layers visible. Layer one, interchange: the fee that goes to your customer's bank, the card issuer. Its level differs by card type, and in Europe interchange on consumer cards has been regulated and capped since 2015 under the Interchange Fee Regulation. For commercial cards that cap does not apply, which is why they can work out more expensive. Layer two, scheme fees: the fees for the card network itself. This layer sits outside the European interchange regulation, and that is exactly where the field is moving: merchants and regulators point out that these fees have grown in recent years and are hard to fathom, and the European Commission is investigating how the card networks set them. However that ends, it underlines one thing: whoever does not see their costs split does not see which layer is moving. Layer three, the markup: what your payment provider charges for its own work, the technology, the acceptance, the service. With IC++ this margin sits separately, so you see exactly what the service costs.
IC++ versus blended, in one table
| Blended rate | IC++ | |
|---|---|---|
| Build-up | Everything in one rate | Three layers shown separately |
| Visibility of your provider's margin | No | Yes |
| See which cost layer rises or falls | No | Yes |
| Benefit when a cost layer falls | Usually not | Yes, the actual rate counts |
| Comparing providers | Hard | Fair |
A blended rate looks simple, and that is its appeal: one number, done. But that simplicity has a price. You do not see how much margin is hidden in it, you do not automatically benefit when underlying costs fall, and you cannot compare providers fairly.
Why this matters extra for high-risk
High-risk businesses typically pay more for card acceptance than an average shop, because of their risk profile. That is exactly when you want to know what that amount consists of. A transparent build-up protects you two ways: you see whether your provider's markup is reasonable, and you see whether a competitor's lower price is really a sharper rate or just different packaging.
For anyone who wants to know what they pay for, IC++ is the fairest build-up.
So what does it actually cost?
That depends on your sector, your volume and your profile, which is why we deliberately name no amounts here. What we do promise: with us the build-up is always IC++, so always visible, with no surprises. Curious what that means for your business? Calculate your rate estimate.