October typically has significant updates in the payment processing space, especially from the card brands.
In addition to changes at the interchange level, we also saw new payment products being released, processor-level rate increases, and noteworthy partnerships from major industry players.
I’ve compiled a roundup of the biggest headlines you should know about.
Major Interchange and Card Network Updates
There were several important interchange updates that went into effect in October. Here’s a quick summary of what’s happening:
October 1st
- Non-regulated NYCE PIN debit rates increased.
- Mastercard required refund transaction authorizations for CNP transactions (with exceptions for certain MCCs).
October 17th
- Only “verified” merchants are eligible for Visa’s new CEDP rates.
October 18th
- Mastercard increased its Interregional Consumer Rate III by 0.05%.
- Mastercard One Credential launched.
- Mastercard added new Commercial B2B product codes.
- Visa expanded its Commercial Choice interchange program.
- Visa removed MCC code limitations for its Global B2B Virtual Payments solution.
You can read my full breakdown of October 2025 interchange updates for more information on these headlines.
Heartland Fee Increases
Heartland announced that this year’s Annual Reporting Fee will cost merchants $410 per location (up from $245 last year). Businesses using Heartland for processing will see this applied on December 2025 statements.
This announcement came in the same month that Heartland applied a $450 Infrastructure Upgrade Fee on October 2025 statements.
That’s $860 in junk fees assessed over three months for single-location merchants. And multi-location businesses can expect these charges to cost them thousands.
Fiserv Rate Increase
Fiserv announced a 0.10% + $0.10 per transaction rate increase that goes into effect on November 1st, 2025.
They applied an increase to a select group of merchant accounts in September, and now it looks like they’re rolling out the same rate hike to additional businesses.
Stripe Expands Stablecoin Product for Subscriptions
Earlier this year I wrote a blog post about stablecoins shaking up the payments industry. And now we’re seeing a continuation of this trend from Stripe, specifically with a focus on recurring billing for AI companies.
Stripe now allows companies to accept crypto wallet payments for subscriptions that will immediately settle in fiat currency.
Stablecoin-based subscriptions can be managed directly in Stripe’s dashboard alongside other billing tools.
Square Expands Food & Beverage Platform
During Square’s biannual release launch, they announced its largest expansion of its food and beverage solution.
One of the new features includes AI-powered voice ordering capabilities, which allows customers to place orders over the phone without speaking with a staff member.
There’s also a new Grubhub integration, enhanced kiosk, and the ability for restaurants to manage a single menu across multiple platforms and ordering channels.
See the complete feature list here.
Checkout.com Advances Efforts to Become US Acquirer
Checkout.com’s application to become a merchant acquirer in the US was accepted by Georgia’s Department of Banking and Finance.
This is a major step toward Checkout becoming its own acquirer.
Once the application is approved, Checkout.com will have direct access to US-based card networks.
We’ll keep you posted as new information becomes available, and you can read the press release here.
BigCommerce to Launch New Embedded Payment Product Powered by PayPal
BigCommerce and PayPal are partnering to launch a new embedded payment service for BigCommerce customers.
They’re planning to launch BigCommerce Payments in the US at some point in 2026, with additional international locations becoming available in different stages.
Worldpay Inks Deal to Become Kroger’s Exclusive Payment Processing Provider
Worldpay just signed an exclusive agreement to provide payment processing services for Kroger.
This includes all retail, online, and mobile transactions for one of the world’s largest grocery stores that serves 11+ million customers daily. It’s a massive deal in which Worldpay will process billions of dollars for Kroger every year.
Mastercard Rolls Out New Payment Optimization Platform
Mastercard rolled out its new Payment Optimization Platform (POP) to help boost approval rates for businesses. It’s a network-based service that uses Mastercard’s data and AI technology to improve authorization messages, and the pilot program delivered a 9-15% lift in conversions.
It’s being used by players like Adyen, Worldpay, Tap Payments, and NEOPAY, which will use trillions of combinations of data to create “optimal authorization in near real-time” to increase approval rates.
Shift4 to Acquire Worldline Subsidiaries in North America
Shift4 is acquiring all of Worldline’s North American subsidiaries.
The transaction is officially expected to close in 1Q26, giving Shift4 access to over 140,000 gateway clients across the US and Canada.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get all the biggest payment news delivered straight to your inbox. In case you missed it, here’s a link to last month’s stories.