Every card transaction fee is made up of the same underlying components. What changes between pricing models is how many of those components are shown to you, and how many are bundled together. This article breaks down what makes up the cost of accepting a card payment, and how blended, IC+ and IC++ pricing each present that cost differently.

The three components of every transaction

Whenever a card is used to pay, three separate costs are involved:

1. Interchange fee - Set by the card networks (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, eftpos) and paid to the cardholder's issuing bank. This fee varies by card type. A standard debit tap costs less in interchange than a premium rewards credit card or a corporate card.
2. Scheme fees - Charged by the card networks themselves (e.g.Visa, Mastercard, eftpos) for running the payment rails. These are separate from interchange and typically include assessment fees and other network charges.
3. Acquirer margin - The fee charged by Nuvei (the acquirer) for processing the transaction, maintaining the merchant account, and providing the supporting infrastructure and service.

Pricing types

Every transaction fee a merchant pays is these three components added together. The pricing model determines whether they're shown separately or combined.

• Blended pricing

In a blended model, all three components (interchange, scheme fees and acquirer margin) are combined into a single flat rate. The merchant sees one number, for example 1.5%, applied to every transaction regardless of card type.

Nuvei pays the underlying interchange and scheme fees on the merchant's behalf, and the difference between what they pay and what they charge the merchant is their margin. That margin isn't itemised or shown separately.

• IC+ pricing

IC+ stands for interchange plus. It separates the fee into two parts:

• Interchange, shown as its own line and passed through at the actual rate set by the card networks, so it varies by card type and transaction
• A markup, which combines the scheme fees and Nuvei's margin into a single additional fee on top of interchange

So instead of one flat number, a statement shows something like "interchange + 0.15%." The interchange portion moves with the transaction mix; the markup portion stays fixed.

• IC++ pricing

IC++ stands for interchange plus plus. It separates out all three components individually:

• Interchange, passed through at the actual rate
• Scheme fees, shown as their own line
• Acquirer margin, shown as its own line

Nothing is combined. Each component of the transaction cost appears as a distinct item on the statement.

How the three models compare

In short: blended combines all three components into one rate, IC+ separates interchange but keeps scheme fees and margin combined, and IC++ separates all three components individually.