Recent reports indicate that some merchants are facing unexpectedly higher costs due to Visa's new Commercial Enhanced Data Program, which was implemented in October.
The program adjusts interchange fees based on the amount of data provided with a transaction. Many merchants were pushed into higher-cost fee tiers because their existing systems were unprepared to supply the newly required data.
Visa implemented the change as part of a broader strategy to combat rising credit card fraud by leveraging more detailed transaction information. Consultants confirm that merchant unpreparedness caused financial strain and forced a scramble to adjust systems to comply with the new requirements.