Level 3 Card Data for B2B Payments in 2026
Visa ended its Level 2 interchange incentives in April 2026. Learn what Level 3 data is, what Visa's enhanced data program requires, and when it saves money.
By Are You Losing Money editorial team · Updated · 4 min read
Short answer
Level 3 data is line-item invoice detail, such as item descriptions, quantities, and unit prices, sent with a business card payment. Since April 2026, Visa's Commercial Enhanced Data Program has replaced its Level 2 incentives, so validated Level 3 data is now the main way to reach lower Visa commercial interchange. A business that takes regular corporate or purchasing card payments should ask whether its gateway sends verified Level 3 data.
Key takeaways
- Level 1 is basic transaction data, Level 2 adds tax and a customer reference, and Level 3 adds line items.
- Visa's Level 2 incentive rates ended in April 2026, except for commercial fuel. Lower Visa commercial rates now depend on validated Level 3 data.
- On Visa's April 2026 table, a qualifying commercial transaction drops from 2.70% plus 10 cents online to 1.75% plus 10 cents.
- Visa charges a 0.05% program fee on transactions submitted with enhanced data, and its data checks reject placeholder values.
What Level 1, 2, and 3 data mean
Every card payment carries some data. The levels describe how much.
- Level 1: the basics on every transaction, such as amount, date, and merchant details.
- Level 2: adds sales tax, a customer code or purchase order number, and a few other fields.
- Level 3: adds line-item detail for each product or service on the invoice: description, product code, quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and line total, along with freight and duty where they apply.
Businesses that pay suppliers with corporate and purchasing cards use this data to reconcile spending and apply tax rules. In return, the card networks have long offered lower interchange when merchants send it.
What changed at Visa
Visa replaced its old Level 2 and Level 3 incentives with the Commercial Enhanced Data Program, known as CEDP. The changes arrived in stages:
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| April 2025 | CEDP launched, with a 0.05% fee on transactions submitted with enhanced data |
| October 2025 | Merchants needed a verified status, based on Visa's data quality review, to receive the new lower rates |
| April 2026 | Visa's Level 2 interchange incentives ended for business and commercial cards, except the commercial fuel program |
In practice, Visa's lower commercial rates now require validated line-item data. Visa also checks data quality, so generic descriptions or values filled in automatically by a gateway to meet the field requirements can fail validation.
Mastercard runs its own commercial data programs. Ask your processor how your Mastercard business card sales qualify today.
The rate difference
Here are Visa's corporate and purchasing card rates effective April 18, 2026:
| Visa corporate or purchasing card category | Interchange |
|---|---|
| Commercial Product 3 (validated enhanced data) | 1.75% + 10¢ |
| Commercial card present | 2.50% + 10¢ |
| Commercial card not present | 2.70% + 10¢ |
| Non-qualified | 2.95% + 10¢ |
Take a $5,000 invoice paid online with a purchasing card:
| Scenario | Cost |
|---|---|
| Commercial card not present (2.70% + 10¢) | $135.10 |
| Product 3 (1.75% + 10¢) plus 0.05% program fee | $90.10 |
| Savings on one invoice | $45.00 |
That example assumes the transaction passes Visa's data review. For a business that bills dozens of commercial invoices a month by card, the difference adds up quickly.
Who benefits most
- Suppliers and distributors that sell to other businesses.
- Contractors and service companies, such as HVAC, roofing, and facilities firms, that invoice commercial accounts.
- Businesses that sell to government agencies and institutions paying by purchasing card.
- Any business where corporate or purchasing cards make up a meaningful share of card volume.
Consumer cards gain nothing from Level 3 data. If almost all your customers are consumers, your effort is better spent on the fixes in our guide to interchange fees.
How to set it up
- Find out how much of your volume is commercial. Your statement's card-type breakdown or your processor's reporting will show it.
- Ask your processor two questions. Does your gateway support CEDP Level 3 data for Visa? Is your account verified under the program?
- Connect your invoicing system. Level 3 data has to come from real invoice lines, so the gateway usually needs to pull it from your accounting, ERP, or invoicing software.
- Use real descriptions. Item names, quantities, and unit prices should match the invoice the customer receives.
- Check your statement. On interchange-plus pricing, look for Product 3 or enhanced data categories on your commercial transactions. If they are missing, ask why.
If you are on tiered pricing, commercial cards probably land in your non-qualified tier no matter what data you send, and the savings may never reach you. Our guide to non-qualified downgrades explains why, and our comparison of pricing models shows the alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Does Level 3 data lower rates on consumer credit cards?
No. Enhanced data rates apply to business, corporate, and purchasing cards. Consumer card interchange depends on other factors, such as card type and whether the card was present.
What happened to Level 2 processing?
Visa ended its Level 2 interchange incentives for business and commercial cards in April 2026, except for commercial fuel. Its lower commercial rates now require validated Level 3 data sent through the Commercial Enhanced Data Program.
Do I need special software for Level 3 processing?
You need a gateway or payment integration that can send line-item data, and usually a connection to your invoicing or accounting system so the data matches real invoices. Ask your processor which integrations it supports.
Is the 0.05% CEDP fee worth paying?
For transactions that qualify for the lower Product 3 rates, usually yes. In the example above, the fee was $2.50 on a $5,000 invoice that saved $47.50 in interchange.
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