Card processing in the United States
The card network rules and federal debit rules that apply to taking cards in the United States, in plain words, with a source for each one.
This section covers what is specific to taking cards in the United States. It is for US businesses, and for Canadian businesses that sell to US customers or look at US pricing.
US card pricing is shaped by three things. Card network rules, such as Visa’s rules for the US Region, set conditions for credit card surcharges. Federal rules apply too: Regulation II caps the interchange on debit card sales for large card issuers, and stays in force while a court challenge to it is appealed. And state laws add their own rules on top, which this site does not cover yet. A business’s own processing contract sets the rest. The pages here are re-checked every three months, because these rules and rates change.
The section is small for now. US Debit Fees: Regulation II explains the debit cap and who is exempt from it. US interchange examples from Visa’s US rate sheet are in What Is Interchange?, and Per-Transaction Fees sets out published US rates from Square and Stripe.
Where the rules come from
What a US business can do when it takes cards is shaped by three things:
- Card network rules. Visa, for example, publishes its rules, including a section for the US Region.
- Laws. Federal rules such as Regulation II for debit, and state laws.
- Your own contract with your processor.
Surcharging
A surcharge is an extra fee added to a sale because the customer paid by credit card. Visa's rules for the US Region say:
- A credit card surcharge is allowed "subject to applicable laws or regulations".
- The maximum is 3.00%.
- The merchant must tell its acquirer in writing at least 30 calendar days before it announces or starts surcharging.
- It must be disclosed clearly at the entrance and at the point of sale.
- Surcharges are not permitted on debit transactions, even when the customer presses a "credit" button.
State laws on surcharging, and the rules of the other card networks, are not covered here yet. More on Visa's US rules: Cash Discounts and Surcharges Under Visa's US Rules.
The Canadian rules are different: Surcharging Credit Cards in Canada.
Cash discounting is not the same thing
A surcharge adds money on for paying by credit card. A cash discount takes money off for paying another way. What Visa's US rules say about each is in Cash Discounts and Surcharges Under Visa's US Rules. State laws on cash discounts are not covered here yet.
See cash discount and surcharge in the statement decoder.
Debit: Regulation II (the Durbin rule)
A federal rule called Regulation II limits debit interchange for some card issuers:
- The limit is 21 cents plus 0.05% of the sale.
- An issuer that meets the rule's fraud-prevention standards may receive up to 1 cent more per sale.
- Issuers that, with their affiliates, hold less than $10 billion in assets are exempt.
That is why two debit cards that look the same can cost a merchant different amounts: one may come from an issuer covered by the limit, the other from an exempt one. More in What Is Interchange?
The rule is being challenged in court, and the cap stays in force while an appeal is pending. See US Debit Fees: Regulation II (Durbin).
PCI
PCI DSS, the card industry's data security standard, applies to everyone who stores, processes or sends cardholder data, including merchants, according to the PCI Security Standards Council.
Guides that cover the United States
- What Is Interchange? (includes US debit rules)
- What Is Interchange Plus Pricing?
- Reading a US Merchant Statement
- Visa Interchange Rates in the US, Explained
- Accepting American Express in the US (OptBlue)
- Switching Processors in the US
- Cash Discounts and Surcharges Under Visa's US Rules
- Square Fees in the US: Rates, Plans and Payouts
- How to Read Your Merchant Statement
- Flat Rate vs Interchange Plus vs Tiered
Apart from the Square (United States) page, our provider, contract and industry guides so far use Canadian sources. They are listed on the Canada page.
US-specific pages
- Visa Interchange Rates in the US, Explained — What Visa's US rate sheet (April 18, 2026) lists for in-person, online, small-ticket and debit sales, with the program names you see on statements.
- Accepting American Express in the US (OptBlue) — The two ways a US business takes American Express, who sets the price under OptBlue, and what Stripe, Square and Helcim publish for Amex sales in the US.
- Reading a US Merchant Statement — What a US card processing statement or report shows, with the US line names from Visa's rate sheet and what Stripe, Square and Helcim publish for US accounts.
- Cash Discounts and Surcharges Under Visa's US Rules — What Visa's US rules say about cash discounts, credit card surcharges, convenience fees and service fees. State laws and other networks are not covered yet.
- US Debit Fees: Regulation II (Durbin) — The US rule that caps debit interchange for large banks: 21 cents plus 0.05%, a 1 cent fraud adjustment, who is exempt, debit routing and Federal Reserve data.
- Square Fees in the US: Rates, Plans and Payouts — Square fees in the US: 2.6% + 15¢ in person on Square Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium. Monthly fees, online rates, payouts and cancelling.
- Switching Processors in the US — What Stripe, Square and Helcim's US terms say about closing an account: notice, fees for leaving, balances, reserves and holds after you go.
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Sources
- Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules, 18 April 2026 (PDF) (checked )
- US Regulation II, 12 CFR 235.3: reasonable and proportional interchange fees (checked )
- US Regulation II, 12 CFR 235.4: fraud-prevention adjustment (checked )
- US Regulation II, 12 CFR 235.5: exemptions (checked )
- Cooley: District Court Vacates Regulation II's Debit Card Interchange Fee Standard (August 15, 2025) (checked )
- PCI Security Standards Council: PCI DSS (checked )