Acquirer Processing Fee

An acquirer processing fee is a charge that a card network levies on an acquirer for each transaction it processes through the network. It belongs to the family of network costs described under scheme fees, and acquirers usually pass it on to merchants, either as a separate line on interchange-plus statements or folded into a blended rate. In the United States, "Acquirer Processing Fee", often shortened to APF, is also the name Visa uses for a specific fixed per-transaction fee applied to certain card-not-present transactions; its rates and scope are set in Visa's fee schedules and have changed over time, so current figures should be taken from the network or the acquirer. The fee is distinct from interchange, which is paid to the issuer, and from the acquirer's own margin. Also see merchant discount rate components.