American Express® OptBlue Participant & Payment Facilitator Wholesale Discount Rate and Network Assessment Fees
The OptBlue Participant and Payment Facilitator programs are designed to provide simplified options to accept American Express Cards through an OptBlue Participant or a Payment Facilitator1.
In the OptBlue Participant & Payment Facilitator Program, the OptBlue Participant or Payment Facilitator sets the total pricing (rate and fees) that the merchant will pay for accepting American Express Cards. Depending on the pricing plan, this pricing may include the American Express OptBlue Participant or Payment Facilitator Wholesale Discount Rate as well as Network Assessment Fees that American Express charges the OptBlue Participant or Payment Facilitator for participating in the program.
1 Subject to program eligibility. Please contact your OptBlue Participant or Payment Facilitator for more information.
Wholesale Discount Rate
This is a fee assessed to the OptBlue Participant or Payment Facilitator on each Charge, by multiplying the face value of the Charge by the applicable Wholesale Discount Rate.
| CATEGORIES | TRANSACTION AMOUNT | WHOLESALE DISCOUNT RATE |
American Express Cards |
||
Restaurant |
≤ $200 > $200 |
1.60% 2.40% |
Retail |
≤ $500 > $500 |
1.60% 2.00% |
Services/Prof Service |
≤ $500 > $500 |
1.60% 2.00% |
B2B/Wholesale |
≤ $1000 > $1000 |
1.60% 2.00% |
| Other | ≤ $500 > $500 |
1.60% 2.00% |
| Travel & Entertainment | ≤ $1000 > $1000 |
1.60% 2.40% |
| Healthcare | All Transaction Amounts |
1.34% |
| Mail Order & Internet | ≤ $500 > $500 |
1.60% 2.00% |
| Emerging Markets | All Transaction Amounts | 1.18% |
| Residential Rent (Include Long Term Care) | All Transaction Amounts | 1.08% |
| Utilities | ≤ $1,000 > $1,000 |
$0.68/txn 1.88% |
Prepaid Cards |
||
| All Industries | ≤ $200 > $200 |
1.60% 2.00% |
USD Settlement |
||
| All Industries | Applied to all Transactions submitted and paid in USD, excluding Foreign Issued Debit Cards. | 2.20% |
Foreign Issued Debit Cards (effective April 16, 2021) |
||
| All Industries - CAD Settlement | Applied to all Foreign Issued Debit Card Transactions submitted and paid in CAD. | 1.28% |
| All Industries - USD Settlement | Applied to all Foreign Issued Debit Card Transactions submitted and paid in USD. | 1.78% |
Network Assessment Fees
| FEE TYPE | DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT |
| Program Participation Fee | A fee assessed to payment processors on all American Express Charges. |
0.12% of the face amount of each Charge
|
Card Not Present (Non-Swiped Transaction Fee) |
A fee assessed to payment processors on any Charge for which American Express did not receive both (i) the full Magnetic Stripe and (ii) the indicator as to whether the Card was swiped. |
0.30% of the face amount of each non-swiped Charge |
| Inbound Fee | A fee assessed to payment processors on any Charge made using a Card that was issued by an Issuer outside Canada other than Cards issued by the Japan Credit Bureau (“JCB Cards”) and excluding any Foreign Issued Debit Cards. |
0.60% of the face amount of the Charge |
Existing American Express Merchant Conversion Fee |
A fee assessed to payment processors on each Charge submitted by a Merchant that previously obtained services directly from American Express.
|
From 0.30% of the face amount of the Charge |
As a merchant obtaining services from the OptBlue Participant & Payment Facilitator Program, please contact your OptBlue Participant or Payment Facilitator directly for questions about your merchant services pricing. You may also refer to your Merchant Agreement for more information.
The fees set out above are current as of October 30, 2024 and are subject to change from time to time. This notice is provided for informational purposes only.
®: Used by Amex Bank of Canada under license from American Express.