How to Qualify for Visa CEDP Rates (2 Ways)

It’s been a full year since Visa officially introduced its Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP). Under CEDP, eligible merchants can qualify for reduced interchange rates on commercial credit cards, corporate, purchasing, and business cards. 

Visa rolled out the program to crack down on bad data submissions while rewarding merchants who submit accurate Level 3 data.

Even though the program has been live for a year and was rolled out in phases, “qualifying” for reduced CEDP rates isn’t as straightforward as it should be. 

Merchants who used to get reduced commercial rates are now paying more. Others who expected to see savings still aren’t getting them. And this is a big deal, as the cost difference can be significant. 

Let me clear up any confusion below so you know exactly what it takes to qualify for CEDP rates. 

2 Ways to Qualify for CEDP Savings

As of right now, there are actually two different paths merchants can take to qualify for reduced interchange rates under Visa’s CEDP:

Path 1 — Become a “Verified” Merchant: Visa reviews your data over time and classifies you as verified. Once verified, reduced interchange rates will automatically be applied at the time of the transaction. 

Path 2 — Lagged Interchange: You submit accurate Level 3 data on eligible transactions, but the savings come in the form of a statement credit 10-15 days after settlement, instead of being applied upfront.

Both paths still require you to submit clean, accurate Level 3 data on every commercial transaction. The difference between the two is timing (when the savings hit your account). 

It’s worth noting that Path 1 was supposed to be the default method when Visa rolled out the program. But Path 2 is the only available option right now, as Visa has paused all new verifications. 

There’s still no word on when the verification process will reopen. Though it appears Path 2 will continue to be a fallback option when that happens. So merchants can still access CEDP savings even if they haven’t earned “verified” status.

CEDP Data Submission Requirements (12 Fields)

CEDP qualification ultimately comes down to one thing. You need to submit accurate data that meets Visa’s Level 3 standards. 

This means that every commercial transaction needs to include the following Level 3 fields:

• Discount amount
• Freight/shipping amount
• Duty amount
• Item commodity code
• Item descriptor
• Product code
• Quantity
• Unit of measure
• Unit cost
• Discount per line item
• Line-item total
• Line-item detail indicator

Again, submitting these 12 fields alone isn’t enough. The data MUST be accurate, and all the math has to reconcile.

Visa’s system validates:

• Each line item total = unit cost x quantity (minus line-item discounts).
• Transaction totals = sum of lines, plus tax, plus shipping (minus invoice-level discounts).
• All fields contain real, descriptive values (not placeholders, zeros, or generic text).

That last point is where a lot of merchants get tripped up, as this used to work for years with automatic interchange optimization. But that’s the whole reason why Visa introduced CEDP.

Visa will reject fields that say things like “ITEM” or “PRODUCT” or “N/A.” Item descriptions need to actually describe what was sold. And tax fields can’t just be blank or zero on tax-exempt transactions (you have to explicitly flag the transaction as tax-exempt). 

How to Become a Verified Merchant for Visa’s Commercial Enhanced Data Program

Under normal circumstances (no pause), getting verified status from Visa looks like this:

Step 1 — Confirm Your Processor Supports Full Level 3 Data Submission: This isn’t a given. Lots of processors claim to support Level 3 but haven’t actually configured their gateways to pass all 12 fields in the format that Visa requires. 

Ask your processor directly whether their systems support CEDP and whether they’re submitting L3 data on your behalf. 

Step 2 — Capture and Accurately Pass Data on Every Commercial Transaction: Here’s where most of the work happens. You need to make sure your gateway, POS, or ERP system captures each required field at the time of the sale. And that the data is accurately passed to your processor.

For B2B merchants running everything through an ERP or third-party software, this typically requires some custom integration work or middleware to ensure the data flows correctly from the invoice to settlement. 

Step 3 — Continue Submitting Data on Maintain Your Status: Visa CEDP verification isn’t permanent. You need to continue submitting consistent and accurate data over time to maintain your status. 

It’s been widely cited that 90% of your transactions need to pass validation, measured over a 30-day window. 

Visa will continuously monitor your data integrity and can reclassify you at any time. So if you slip below the 90% threshold requirement, you’ll lose your verification status and will no longer qualify for reduced CEDP rates. 

You should also be aware that you’ll lose your verified status if you switch processors. Visa ties this to your processor relationship, and it won’t transfer if you change providers.

How to Qualify for CEDP Rates While the Verification Process is Paused

Visa stopped performing new verifications in November 2025, and there’s still no word for when this will resume.

So if you’re not currently on Visa’s verified merchant list, you can’t get on it right now. But you can still capture CEDP savings through a workaround. The lagged interchange process is open to every merchant submitting accurate level 3 data, regardless of verification status. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Your transaction settles initially at the standard commercial interchange rate.
2. Visa reviews the Level 3 data submitted with the transaction.
3. If the data passes validation, an interchange credit posts to your account (typically 10-15 days after the original settlement date). 

The net cost should still work out to be the same as what verified merchants pay. You’re just getting them delayed, and your monthly reporting will look a bit different since you won’t be technically paying CEDP interchange rates at the time of the transaction. 

This is actually a great time for non-verified merchants to get their data sorted out. Once Visa eventually resumes verifications, you’ll be in a better position to get verified first if you already have clean data flowing. 

How to Confirm You’re Actually Getting CEDP Rates

Here’s an area where lots of merchants are currently getting burned. They think they’re doing everything right but still not seeing the savings applied to your account. 

In most cases, this is tied to your processor not holding up their end of the deal. Visa CEDP qualification just simply isn’t possible without your processor.

But there are several things you can check on your statement to verify whether you are actually getting the savings:

• Look for the 0.05% CEDP assessment, as this pass-through fee from Visa is applied to the total volume of eligible transactions. If you see this, it’s a good sign. And even though it’s an extra fee, the reduced rates still put you ahead.
• Verified merchants can compare interchange line items to Visa’s published CEDP rates. For example, if you see “Business Tier 1 Product 3” at 1.75% + $0.10 on your statement, that means you’re getting a CEDP rate. 
• For non-verified merchants going the lagged interchange route, you should see some type of “Visa CEDP Verified” credit itemized on your statement. 
• Watch out for credits being miscoded as fees. Some processors have “accidentally” applied CEDP credits as extra charges on merchant accounts.

Just don’t take your processor’s word for your status. Dig into your statements and verify things for yourself. 

Even if things pass the initial eye test, you should still calculate your effective rate on commercial transitions month over month. If they jumped back in October 2025 and haven’t come back down yet, it’s a sign that you’re likely paying full standard rates without any interchange discounts or CEDP credits applied. 

If you need help with this, our team here at MCC can audit your statements for free to let you know whether your CEDP discounts are showing up the way they should be. 

Common Reasons Why Merchants Fail to Qualify

If you still think you should be getting CEDP rates but you’re not seeing the savings, there’s a good chance it’s for at least one of the following reasons:

• Level 2 Data Submissions: Effective April 2026, Level 3 data is required to qualify for these rates. So while L2 may have worked for you in the past, that’s no longer possible. 
• Processor Issues: Some processors claim they support Level 3 but only pass certain fields, or pass fields in the wrong format. 
• Line Item Math Doesn’t Reconcile: If Visa’s validation systems find discrepancies between line item amounts, discounts, and totals, then your data is going to be rejected. 
• Placeholder Values: Generic line item descriptions, straight zeros, blank purchase order numbers, and “N/A” entries will be flagged. 
• Required Fields Missing Entirely: Even one blank field can disqualify the entire transaction. You need to submit all 12 data fields that Visa requires for Level 3. 
• Excluded MCCs: Certain merchants are not eligible for CEDP, regardless of the data you submit. Travel industry (airlines, hotels, car rentals), restaurants (5812 and 5814) and fleet single-fuel only are excluded. In these cases, you could be paying the 0.05% participation fee without getting the discount. You’ll need to opt out.

Final Thoughts

I think CEDP ended up being more complicated than everyone anticipated, including Visa. The fact that they paused new verifications less than a month into the program going live is pretty telling of how things are going.

But for businesses, the inconsistent rollout and bumps along the way are no excuse to continue overpaying when you shouldn’t be. 

Neither Visa nor your processor is going to give you any sympathy. It’s on you to take control over this, and claim the savings you deserve. 

If you’re already verified, you need to continue hitting that 90% accuracy benchmark to maintain your status. And if you’re not yet verified, you can still qualify for CEDP rates via the lagged interchange path. Your savings will just be applied as a credit instead of the interchange qualification. 

With all of that said, it’s worth it for any merchant processing commercial cards to take this seriously. There’s a lot to keep track of, and it’s likely worth getting an extra set of eyes on your statement to ensure you’re getting the savings you qualify for. 

Just reach out to our team here at MCC, and will give you a free CEDP audit.