Interchange++

The interchange fee is the fee the merchant's bank (the acquirer) pays to the customer's bank (the issuer) on every card payment. With Interchange++ that interchange is passed on to you separately, plus the scheme fees of Visa or Mastercard and a margin for your payment provider. The alternative is a single flat rate, as with Shopify Payments. More on that in our guide to Shopify payments.

In short

Interchange flows from the merchant's bank to the customer's bank and is capped in the EU.

Interchange++ = interchange + scheme fee + provider margin, itemised per transaction.

At high volumes Interchange++ can work out cheaper; a flat rate is simpler and predictable.

What is a payment scheme?

A payment scheme (card scheme) is the network behind a payment brand. It sets the rules and connects issuers with acquirers. Visa and Mastercard are international schemes; Bancontact is the Belgian scheme for debit cards. The scheme charges the acquirer a scheme fee per transaction, separate from the interchange that goes to the issuer. In a four-party scheme such as Visa, Mastercard and Bancontact, customer, issuer, acquirer and merchant are four separate parties. In a three-party scheme, the classic American Express model, the same company issues the card and also processes the payment.

How does the interchange fee work?

Visa and Mastercard payments involve four parties: customer, issuer, acquirer and merchant. The acquirer pays the issuer an interchange fee on every payment. In the European Union this fee has been capped since 9 December 2015 by Regulation (EU) 2015/751:

debit cards: at most 0.2% of the amount;

credit cards: at most 0.3% of the amount.

The caps do not apply to commercial cards or to three-party schemes, where the same company issues the card and processes the payment. That partly explains why providers charge more for commercial cards, American Express and cards from outside Europe; on Shopify Payments Basic that is 3.2% + EUR 0.25.

What does Interchange++ mean?

An example: Adyen charges interchange plus 0.60% and a fixed processing fee for cards (checked in October 2026).

Interchange++ or a flat rate?

Shopify Payments uses a flat rate per plan: for European cards from 2% + EUR 0.25 on Basic to 1.4% + EUR 0.25 on Plus. That rate bundles interchange, scheme fees and Shopify's margin. It is predictable and easy to book. Interchange++ is more transparent and can be cheaper with many European debit cards, but your costs vary per transaction and reconciliation is more complex. What you actually pay per order is covered under transaction fees and Shopify Payments fees.

Example in a Shopify context

A EUR 100 payment with a European consumer debit card carries an interchange of at most EUR 0.20. On an Interchange++ contract you add the scheme fee, a margin of, say, 0.60% and a fixed fee. On Shopify Payments Plus the same payment costs EUR 1.65. Which option is cheaper depends on your card mix and volume.

Frequently asked questions

What is an interchange fee?

A fee the merchant's bank pays to the customer's bank on every card payment. In the EU it is capped for consumer cards at 0.2% (debit) and 0.3% (credit).

What does Interchange++ mean?

A pricing model in which you pay the interchange, the card network's scheme fee and your provider's margin separately, per transaction.

Is Interchange++ cheaper than Shopify Payments?

Sometimes, mainly at high volumes with many European debit cards. Because of minimum invoices and fluctuating costs, run the numbers on your own data.

Does Shopify Payments offer Interchange++?

Publicly, Shopify Payments uses flat rates per plan. You will find Interchange++ with providers such as Adyen.