Non-transactional scheme fees are costs related to payment processing that are not directly deducted from the net settlement of transactions.
They are calculated on all payments and are invoiced separately with a certain delay.
Indeed, some network fees cannot be invoiced per transaction due to certain technical restrictions or when the rules for calculating fees are complex.
How and when does Payplug re-invoice these fees?
These fees are calculated based on reports shared by the schemes, transmitted with varying delays.
These non-transactional fees can be re-invoiced semi-annually or annually.
They are either to be paid after the corresponding invoice is issued (available on your Payplug back-office) or deducted from the payment flow.
Types of fees invoiced outside the “net” settlement
Mastercard“ Transaction Processing Excellence” program fees
Description: Mastercard has implemented a program called "Transaction Processing Excellence" (TPE). Its objective is to detect non-compliance with applicable transaction processing rules and to encourage better practices, so that the network operates more efficiently for everyone.
These fees are broken down into 2 parts:
- “Issuer will never approve”
- These are execution codes 4019, 4013. In this case, merchants are not authorized to replay authorization requests on these transactions. Any attempt is subject to fees.
- Fees incurred: €0.50/non-compliant attempt.
- “Excessive authorization attempt”
- These are execution codes 5002, 4002, 4005, 4003, 4020, 5006.
- These execution codes indicate that the issuing bank cannot approve the authorization request at this time.
- It is possible (and recommended) to resubmit authorization requests, but they must comply with the following limits:
- 10 consecutive attempts within 24 hours following the first refusal.
- 35 attempts within 30 days following the first refusal.
- Fees incurred: €0.55 per attempt exceeding the above limits.
Payplug re-invoicing:
- These fees are re-invoiced semi-annually and payable after the invoice is issued.
- Note that you can limit these fees by implementing rules in your payment system based on the execution codes shared above.
Visa “System Integrity Fees”
Description: Visa has a program to encourage good practices in transaction processing, particularly to reduce risks and improve data quality.
These fees are broken down into 2 parts:
- “Issuer will never approve”
- These are execution codes 4019, 4013. In this case, merchants are not authorized to replay authorization requests on these transactions. Any attempt is subject to fees.
- Fees incurred:
- Domestic/intra-Europe transactions: $0.10/attempt
- International transactions: $0.15/attempt ($0.25/attempt starting April 2026).
- “Excessive authorization attempt”
- These are execution codes 5002, 4002, 4005, 4003, 4020, 5006.
- These execution codes indicate that the issuing bank cannot approve the authorization request at this time.
- It is possible (and recommended) to resubmit authorization requests, but they must comply with the following limits:
- 20 possible re-attempts within 30 days following the first refused attempt.
- Fees incurred:
- Domestic/intra-Europe transactions: $0.10/attempt
- International transactions: $0.15/attempt ($0.25/attempt starting April 2026).
Payplug re-invoicing:
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually.
- The exchange rate applied for re-invoicing is the one in effect at the time of invoicing.
- Note that you can limit these fees by implementing rules based on the execution codes above in your payment system.
Mastercard Non-Authentication fees ( “Customer Development Fund” program)
Description: Mastercard's non-authentication fees aim to encourage 3DS adoption to improve the digital payment experience by reducing fraud, unjustified declines, and unnecessary friction. These fees apply to transactions that have not used 3DS rails or formats (SCA request, identity verification request sent in EMV 3DS format, acquirer exemption request via EMV 3DS, etc.).
Fees incurred:
- Authorization requests that do not meet the above criteria are subject to a fee of 0.06% of the transactional volume.
- These fees apply to both authorized and declined authorization requests.
Payplug re-invoicing:
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually and are payable after the invoice is issued.
- Note that you can limit these fees by complying with the PSD2 rules relating to strong customer authentication (SCA) and 3DS.
Mastercard Non-Tokenisation fees (“Customer Development Fund” program)
Description : Since January 1, 2024, the use of a Mastercard Network Token has become mandatory for all "card-on-file" authorizations (one-click and recurring payments).
Fees incurred: In the event of non-use of a Network Token during authorization requests for a "card-on-file" transaction, Mastercard applies a fee of 0.05% of the transactional volume for accepted or declined authorization requests (excluding MOTO).
Payplug re-invoicing :
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually and are payable after the invoice is issued.
- Note that you can limit these fees by:
- using our aliasing system to natively generate Network Tokens transparently, without additional development on your part. Network Token data and the cryptogram are automatically associated with the alias and sent to the schemes by Payplug.
- using your own Network Tokens via our API: If you have already obtained Network Tokens directly from the schemes or another provider, you can send them to us via our API.
Visa Non-Tokenisation and Non-Authentification fees (“Secure Credential Integrity Fee” program)
Description: For "card non-present" (CNP) domestic or intra-regional transactions, authorization requests must imperatively pass through a Visa token or the Visa 3DS rail. Any CNP transaction that does not comply with this requirement (non-tokenized and outside 3DS) will be subject to additional fees.
Fees incurred:
- CNP transactions that are neither tokenized nor processed via the 3DS rail will be subject to a fee of 0.025% of the transactional volume (accepted authorization requests only).
- These fees increase to 0.075% starting October 2025.
Payplug re-invoicing :
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually and are payable after the invoice is issued.
- Note that you can limit these fees by:
- using our aliasing system to natively generate Network Tokens transparently, without additional development on your part. Network Token data and the cryptogram are automatically associated with the alias and sent to the schemes by Payplug.
- using your own Network Tokens via our API: If you have already obtained Network Tokens directly from the schemes or another provider, you can send them to us via our API.
Visa High-Risk Merchant Registration fees
Description : As part of monitoring merchant activities, Visa has identified certain activities as "High Risk" or "High-Integrity Risk" and requires each e-merchant with a "High Risk" or "High-Integrity Risk" activity to declare it.
MCC codes in scope:
- 5967 - Direct marketing Inbound teleservices Merchant (adult content and services)**
- 7273 - Dating Services**
- 7995 - Gambling merchants**
- 5816 - Digital goods (Games, skill games merchants)**
- 4816 - Computer Network, Information Services**
- 5968 - High-Risk negative option billing merchants**
- 5966 - Direct Marketing - Outbound telemarketing merchant**
- 6211 - High risk securities merchants**
- 5993 - Cigar stores and stands**
**Conditional declarations that require analysis and validation by the Risk team.
Fees incurred: €950 upon registration, then €950 annually.
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced annually and deducted from the payment flow.
Frais Visa “Visa Integrity Risk Program”
Description : Since April 2024, Visa has introduced an additional transaction fee for certain "High Risk” activities.
MCC codes in scope::
- 5967 - Direct marketing Inbound teleservices Merchant (adult content and services)
- 7273 - Dating Services
Fees incurred: $0.02 per operation and 0.10% of the volume of e-commerce transactions ("Card Non Present") for merchants with the MCC codes listed above.
Payplug re-invoicing:
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually and deducted from the payment flow.
- The exchange rate applied for re-invoicing is the one in effect at the time of invoicing.
Mastercard High-Risk Merchants Registration fees
Description: As part of monitoring merchant activities, Mastercard has identified certain activities as "High Risk" or "High-Integrity Risk" and requires each e-merchant with a "High Risk" or "High-Integrity Risk" activity to declare it.
MCC codes in scope:
- 5967, 7841 - Direct marketing Inbound teleservices Merchant (adult content and services)**
- 7995 - Gambling merchants**
- 7994 - Digital goods (Games, skill games merchants)**
- 4816 - Computer Network, Information Services**
- 5968 - High-Risk negative option billing merchants**
- 6211 - High risk securities merchants**
- 5993 - Cigar stores and stands**
**Conditional declarations that require analysis and validation by the Risk team.
Fees incurred: €500 upon registration, then €500 annually.
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced annually and deducted from the payment flow.
Mastercard Payfac declaration fees
Description: The Payfac (Payment Facilitator) model is a scheme-regulated model that requires merchants to be declared and specific, mandatory data to be shared.
Fees incurred: Mastercard charges €3500/year/Payfac for the declaration.
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced annually and deducted from the payment flow.
Frais Visa “Acquirer Innovation and Market Development Volume Fee”
Description: Every quarter, Visa charges acquisition fees as part of the "Acquirer Innovation and Market Development" program. These fees are reinvested to promote innovation and the adoption of payments in the countries concerned.
Fees incurred:
- These fees apply to the transaction volume. They differ according to the merchant's country of registration.
List of fees by country (fees valid as of September 1, 2025)
- Austria:
- 0.02% (Debit cards)
- 0.05% (Credit cards)
- Belgium: 0.01%
- Bulgaria:
- 0.05% (domestic transactions)
- 0.15% (intra/inter-regional transactions)
- Croatia:
- 0.015% (domestic transactions)
- 0.11% (intra/inter-regional transactions)
- Cyprus: 0.02%
- Czech Republic: 0.08%
- Denmark: 0.0025%
- Estonia: 0.0175%
- Finland: 0.005%
- Germany: 0.007%
- Greece: 0.03%
- Hungary:
- 0.1% (domestic transactions)
- 0.115% (intra/inter-regional transactions)
- Itay: 0.02%
- Latvia: 0.0175%
- Lithuania: 0.0175%
- Luxembourg:
- 0.006% (domestic transactions, debit cards)
- 0.02% (domestic transactions, credit cards)
- Malta: 0.02%
- Netherlands:
- 0.005% (debit cards)
- 0.025% (credit cards)
- Poland: 0.065%
- Portugal: 0.004%
- Romania: 0.05%
- Slovakia: 0.05%
- Slovenia: 0.024%
- Spain: 0.0025%
- Switzerland:
- 0.0025% (debit cards)
- 0.005% (credit cards)
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced semi-annually and payable after the invoice is issued.
Mastercard “Innovation and Market Fund” fees
Description: Mastercard charges network fees that are used to develop card payments in local markets.
Fees incurred:
- These fees are 0.01% and apply to the volume of transactions generated by a Maestro, Cirrus, or Mastercard card at a point of sale.
- They apply to merchants registered in France for all transactions made at points of sale, with French or foreign cards.
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced semi-annually and payable after the invoice is issued.
Frais Visa “Marketplace: Foreign Retailer Volume”
Description: Visa charges quarterly fees for transactions made on marketplaces by retailers based outside Europe (example: an American retailer selling products on a European marketplace).
Fees incurred:
- Payplug declares the volumes of these non-European retailers to Visa quarterly.
- Visa charges 0.30% on the volume processed by marketplace retailers not based in Europe.
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced quarterly and payable after the invoice is issued.
Frais de service de token Visa (VTS)
Description: Visa has implemented fees on e-commerce transactions requiring the use of its token service (VTS) to verify authentication. This specifically concerns transactions made via X-Pay payment applications (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc.). This service allows for the transmission of authentication-specific information for tokenized flows that have not used a 3DS protocol. These fees only apply to remote payments.
Fees incurred: The amount of these fixed fees is currently $0.02 / authentication request.
Payplug re-invoicing:
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually and are payable after the invoice is issued.
- The exchange rate applied for re-invoicing is the one in effect at the time of invoicing.
Frais de mise à jour des tokens Visa (VDCU)
Description: To streamline the customer journey and limit authorization refusals due to an expired card, Visa provides the "Account updater" repository to allow merchants to retrieve their customers' new card details. The VDCU (Visa Digital Credential Updater) service updates tokens by retrieving the new card's details when the old card was tokenized.
Fees incurred: The cost is $0.12 per token updated.
Payplug re-invoicing:
- These fees are invoiced semi-annually and are payable after the invoice is issued.
- The exchange rate applied for re-invoicing is the one in effect at the time of invoicing.
Frais de service de token Mastercard (MDES)
Description: Since October 1, 2024, Mastercard has been charging fees for transactions where authentication is not done via 3DS but by secure tokenization with DSRP (Digital Secure Remote Payment) cryptogram. This particularly concerns transactions generated in X-Pay wallets (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, etc.) or secure Card on File.
Fees incurred:
- Card Present (In-person payment) :
- 0.01% for a card from the European Economic Area
- 0.05% for a card from outside Europe
- Card Non Present (E-commerce payments) :
- 0.02% for a card from the European Economic Area
- 0.10% for a card from outside Europe
Payplug re-invoicing: These fees are invoiced semi-annually and are payable after the invoice is issued.
This is a non-contractual document for informational purposes.
The prices are indicative and are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the card schemes.