What makes this industry different
Gas stations have a few things that change which card fees and rules matter:
- Pump payments. The card is approved before the final amount is known.
- Business cards. Some drivers pay with corporate, purchasing or fleet cards. Fleet cards also come up at auto repair shops.
- A store as well as pumps. Many stations also sell convenience items.
A merchant category code (MCC) is a four-digit number that says what kind of business a merchant is. Service stations are MCC 5541. Automated fuel dispensers, the pay-at-the-pump terminals, are MCC 5542.
Interchange is the fee the processor pays the customer’s bank.
Fees to know about in this industry (Canada)
Visa credit, Gas program. Visa Canada’s “Industry Program – Gas” lists MCC 5541, 5542 and 5499 (“Misc Food Stores – Default”).
| Visa Canada consumer card, in person | Gas program | Standard (“Electronic”) |
|---|---|---|
| Classic, Gold, Platinum | 1.07% | 1.25% |
| Infinite | 1.34% (1.24% from Oct 22, 2026, per TD) | 1.57% |
| Infinite+ | 1.50% | 1.60% |
| Infinite Privilege | 1.95% (1.85% from Oct 22, 2026, per TD) | 2.08% |
TD’s Fee Change Summary says “CDN INFINITE ELEC. GAS” went from 1.34% to 1.24%, and “CDN INFINITE PRIV ELEC. GAS” from 1.95% to 1.85%, on October 22, 2026. Visa’s own sheet still did not show the change when we checked on October 22, 2026.
Corporate and purchasing cards. Visa Canada lists “Enhanced Data – Fuel” at 1.80% for corporate and purchasing cards, versus 1.90% for their standard in-person rate. Enhanced data means extra details sent with the sale, such as what was bought.
Debit. Visa Canada lists $0.03 a sale for Visa Debit on the Gas program. TD’s “upcoming (Oct 2026)” rate list shows Mastercard’s Canada domestic debit rate for Petroleum at 0.15% + $0.05.
Interac. Service stations (5541) and automated fuel dispensers (5542) are not on Interac’s Tier 1 tap list ($0.020). Electric Vehicle Charging (MCC 5552) is. Merchants not in Tier 1 or 2 pay $0.035 on tap sales up to $100, and all merchants pay $0.055 from $100.01 to $250.
Fees to know about in this industry (United States)
Visa’s US sheet (rates effective April 18, 2026):
| Visa US program | Rate |
|---|---|
| Fuel (consumer credit, any card type) | 1.15% + $0.25, capped at $1.10 |
| Service Station and Government Small Ticket (most card types) | 1.65% + $0.04 |
| CPS/Automated Fuel Dispenser, Debit (exempt card) | 0.80% + $0.15, capped at $0.95 |
| CPS/Service Station, Debit (exempt card) | 0.80% + $0.15, capped at $0.95 |
| Regulated debit | 0.05% + $0.21 |
| Commercial Level II – Fuel (purchasing and corporate, including fleet) | 2.20% + $0.10 |
A regulated debit card is one from a large bank, under the US debit fee cap. See US Debit Fees: Regulation II (Durbin).
Pump payments: Visa’s rules
Visa’s Core Rules (18 April 2026) cover automated fuel dispensers (AFDs):
- A merchant may process a pump sale as either a “Status Check Authorization” or an “Initial Authorization Request.”
- Status check amounts. For countries other than Japan and the US, Visa’s table lists “USD 100 (or local currency equivalent)” for a chip transaction with a PIN, and “USD 75 (or local currency equivalent)” for all others. In the US: USD 175, or USD 1,000 for a Visa Fleet Card.
- Initial authorization in the US: an amount not exceeding USD 500, or USD 1,000 for a Visa Fleet Card.
- Releasing the hold. “For a preauthorization request at an Automated Fuel Dispenser (AFD), a Completion Message or a Reversal must be sent within 2 hours of receipt of an Approval Response.”
Partial approvals. Visa’s rules list Service Stations (5541) and Automated Fuel Dispensers (5542) among the Canadian merchant categories for which acquirers must support the Partial Authorization Service. A partial authorization approves part of the amount when the card has less available.
More on holds: Tips and Pre-Authorizations.
Contract terms to read closely
- Which MCC each part of the business (pumps, store) is set up under.
- Surcharges in Canada. See Surcharging Credit Cards in Canada.
Questions to ask a processor
- Are the pumps and the store set up under separate merchant category codes?
- Are Visa’s Gas program and fuel enhanced-data rates passed through on the statement?
- How are pump holds and partial approvals handled?
Where to go from here
Related: Card Processing for Grocery and Convenience Stores and Assessment Fees Explained.
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