What is a cross-border fee?
A per-transaction charge the card networks assess when the card was issued in a different country than the merchant account that processed it. Common for shops near a border, tourist traffic, and online sales.
From a merchant statement
Also billed as Foreign transaction fee, International assessment, International service fee.
Who charges it and why
The card networks assess it and every processor pays it; your processor passes it to you. The legitimate part is the network assessment. Some processors add their own margin on top of the network amount and keep the same line-item name.
What fair looks like
Fair looks like the network assessment passed through at cost, visible as its own line, with no house margin blended in. On interchange-plus pricing you can check this against the network's published schedule.
Can you get rid of it
You cannot eliminate the network's own assessment; any processor that claims otherwise is hiding it in the rate. What you can remove is the markup on top: ask whether the line matches the published network amount, and have the statement reviewed if the answer is vague.
Back to the Statement Fee Decoder for every other line on your statement.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cross-border fee?
A per-transaction charge the card networks assess when the card was issued in a different country than the merchant account that processed it. Common for shops near a border, tourist traffic, and online sales.
Who charges the cross-border fee and why?
The card networks assess it and every processor pays it; your processor passes it to you. The legitimate part is the network assessment. Some processors add their own margin on top of the network amount and keep the same line-item name.
Can you get rid of a cross-border fee?
You cannot eliminate the network's own assessment; any processor that claims otherwise is hiding it in the rate. What you can remove is the markup on top: ask whether the line matches the published network amount, and have the statement reviewed if the answer is vague.
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