5 ms·

Not always, even the exact same card can run on different networks. For example: 1) You buy a product with your Visa debit card and enter your pin 2) You buy

Not always, even the exact same card can run on different networks. For example: 1) You buy a product with your Visa debit card and enter your pin 2) You buy the same product, same card, but don't enter your pin 3) You buy the same product, same card, but your card won't swipe so the cashier manually enters your card number Each of these scenarios will likely result in different fees to the merchant.

mehrdadn 8y ago
This is avoiding and completely missing the point of my question. I was not asking whether card fees can vary based on how the card is processed. I was asking to precisely what extent they can vary based on the card itself. Please re-read my entire question above.
- adrr 8y ago
  Variable interchange fees range from 0.05% for Visa Debit Cards(Big Banks) to 2.4% for VISA Infinite for most merchant categories. Fees vary by card type and also merchant type.
  - mehrdadn 8y ago
    This is frustrating. Again, you guys are avoiding the question. I don't understand why you guys are doing this. Not only does it waste your own time and mine to be answering a different question than the one asked, you're also repeating a point others have gotten across already [1] [2]. Could you please, please actually read the question? I had very clearly and specifically asked about the same kind of card (which, lest you found the word "kind" unclear, I explicitly gave an example of: assume both cards are "Visa Rewards Signature"), for the same product, with the same merchant, processed in the same manner, etc. The only difference I am focusing on is the card perks (which, again, I gave an example of lest it was unclear: 1% vs. 2% cash back... or 5x points vs. 3% cash back, or whatever you can imagine) or perhaps the issuer (Citi vs. Chase vs. whatever). Somehow you guys are ignoring everything I've asked and repeating to me how merchant fees are different based on the card type (debit vs. credit), card kind (signature vs. regular), merchant (big vs. small), product (groceries vs. gas), etc... yes, thank you, I understood that part already [2], and I was very, very explicitly not asking about those: > if I'm buying two of the same product (obviously -- I'm not talking about two gas vs. groceries here) with two different cards, both of which are from the same network and the same "kind" (by which I mean the categorizations listed above, like two that are both "Visa Rewards Signature"), then the merchant will pay the same fee, right? i.e. it's not like the mere fact that one pays 1% cash back and one pays 2% cash back could possibly result in a different charge to the merchant by itself if they're both (say) lumped together as Rewards Traditional? [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658575 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658575 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658479 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658479
    - JumpCrisscross 8y ago
      > the same kind of card...where the only difference was the card perks The same card means the same perks. You're describing two different cards. They may be similarly branded. But they're different cards to the interchange and different cards (from a rewards perspective) to the consumer. If you think someone is "avoiding the question," it might be you're miscommunicating.
      - mehrdadn 8y ago
        No, you're not reading what I wrote. I said the "same kind of card", not the "same card". I clearly said by "kind" I was referring to regular/Signature/whatever. We have two cards that might come from different issuers (maybe Citi vs. Chase), and/or have different points or cash back or other such perks for the cardholder (maybe 2% cash back vs. 5x points), but we assume both are Visa Signature credit cards, processed by the same merchant, in the same manner, for the same product, at the same (approximate) time, in the same location, by the same person, for the same person, for the same price, etc... and I'm asking if they the merchant can be charged different fees for these cards. These are, clearly, not the "same card". Is this clear?
        MrEldritch 8y ago
        >No, you're not reading what I wrote At what point should you start to suspect that the issue is not on the client side, but the server?
        mehrdadn 8y ago
        > At what point should you start to suspect that the issue is not on the client side, but the server? After I see myself being at least quoted accurately? I repeatedly wrote "same kind of card", and I was quoted as asking about the "same card". That is my fault?
        JumpCrisscross 8y ago
        > different points or cash back or other such perks for the cardholder (maybe 2% cash back vs. 5x points), but we assume both are Visa Signature credit cards Visa Signature card with 2% cash back ("A") is a different card from Visa Signature with 5x ("B"). They're just similarly branded. The text or design on the card is independent from the card itself, which is defined with an alphanumeric code within the interchange system. In short, a merchant swiping A may be charged differently from the same merchant swiping B.
  - MrEldritch 8y ago
    dataflow, have you considered that just possibly the reason people kept "avoiding the question" and "giving you irrelevant answers" is maybe - just maybe - not out of some inexplicable desire to intentionally waste your time, but is actually because they misunderstood your question, because it was in fact very unclearly worded?

mehrdadn 8y ago

This is avoiding and completely missing the point of my question. I was not asking whether card fees can vary based on how the card is processed. I was asking to precisely what extent they can vary based on the card itself. Please re-read my entire question above.

adrr 8y ago
Variable interchange fees range from 0.05% for Visa Debit Cards(Big Banks) to 2.4% for VISA Infinite for most merchant categories. Fees vary by card type and also merchant type.
- mehrdadn 8y ago
  This is frustrating. Again, you guys are avoiding the question. I don't understand why you guys are doing this. Not only does it waste your own time and mine to be answering a different question than the one asked, you're also repeating a point others have gotten across already [1] [2]. Could you please, please actually read the question? I had very clearly and specifically asked about the same kind of card (which, lest you found the word "kind" unclear, I explicitly gave an example of: assume both cards are "Visa Rewards Signature"), for the same product, with the same merchant, processed in the same manner, etc. The only difference I am focusing on is the card perks (which, again, I gave an example of lest it was unclear: 1% vs. 2% cash back... or 5x points vs. 3% cash back, or whatever you can imagine) or perhaps the issuer (Citi vs. Chase vs. whatever). Somehow you guys are ignoring everything I've asked and repeating to me how merchant fees are different based on the card type (debit vs. credit), card kind (signature vs. regular), merchant (big vs. small), product (groceries vs. gas), etc... yes, thank you, I understood that part already [2], and I was very, very explicitly not asking about those: > if I'm buying two of the same product (obviously -- I'm not talking about two gas vs. groceries here) with two different cards, both of which are from the same network and the same "kind" (by which I mean the categorizations listed above, like two that are both "Visa Rewards Signature"), then the merchant will pay the same fee, right? i.e. it's not like the mere fact that one pays 1% cash back and one pays 2% cash back could possibly result in a different charge to the merchant by itself if they're both (say) lumped together as Rewards Traditional? [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658575 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658575 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658479 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17658479
  - JumpCrisscross 8y ago
    > the same kind of card...where the only difference was the card perks The same card means the same perks. You're describing two different cards. They may be similarly branded. But they're different cards to the interchange and different cards (from a rewards perspective) to the consumer. If you think someone is "avoiding the question," it might be you're miscommunicating.
    - mehrdadn 8y ago
      No, you're not reading what I wrote. I said the "same kind of card", not the "same card". I clearly said by "kind" I was referring to regular/Signature/whatever. We have two cards that might come from different issuers (maybe Citi vs. Chase), and/or have different points or cash back or other such perks for the cardholder (maybe 2% cash back vs. 5x points), but we assume both are Visa Signature credit cards, processed by the same merchant, in the same manner, for the same product, at the same (approximate) time, in the same location, by the same person, for the same person, for the same price, etc... and I'm asking if they the merchant can be charged different fees for these cards. These are, clearly, not the "same card". Is this clear?
      - MrEldritch 8y ago
        >No, you're not reading what I wrote At what point should you start to suspect that the issue is not on the client side, but the server?
        mehrdadn 8y ago
        > At what point should you start to suspect that the issue is not on the client side, but the server? After I see myself being at least quoted accurately? I repeatedly wrote "same kind of card", and I was quoted as asking about the "same card". That is my fault?
      - JumpCrisscross 8y ago
        > different points or cash back or other such perks for the cardholder (maybe 2% cash back vs. 5x points), but we assume both are Visa Signature credit cards Visa Signature card with 2% cash back ("A") is a different card from Visa Signature with 5x ("B"). They're just similarly branded. The text or design on the card is independent from the card itself, which is defined with an alphanumeric code within the interchange system. In short, a merchant swiping A may be charged differently from the same merchant swiping B.
- MrEldritch 8y ago
  dataflow, have you considered that just possibly the reason people kept "avoiding the question" and "giving you irrelevant answers" is maybe - just maybe - not out of some inexplicable desire to intentionally waste your time, but is actually because they misunderstood your question, because it was in fact very unclearly worded?