Some businesses are starting to see Mastercard Flex Program Fees popping up on their credit card processing statements—a fee that wasn’t there in the past.
And if you’re reading your merchant statements every month (as you should be), it’s smart of you to question any new fees or fees you don’t recognize.
Read on to learn more about this charge, its cost, who it applies to, and its legitimacy.
What is the Mastercard Flex Program Fee?
The Mastercard Flex Program Fee is an assessment fee applied to B2B commercial card transactions using virtual card number (VCN) technology through Mastercard’s new flex program.
Mastercard introduced this program and fee in April 2025 as part of their broader efforts to expedite B2B commercial card transactions in a way that’s convenient and secure for all parties.
The fee itself is basically Mastercard’s way of recouping costs associated with its B2B virtual card program while providing participating merchants with enhanced processing capabilities.
How Much is the Mastercard Flex Program Fee?
Merchants are assessed 0.10% of total volume for transactions processed through the Mastercard Flex Program (MFP).
Like all assessment fees, this is set at the card network level and passed through to merchants by payment processors.
It’s also worth noting that the 0.10% MFP Fee is charged in addition to the standard interchange rates and other assessments that apply to B2B commercial transactions. This is not a replacement or substitute for the other fees you’re currently paying—it’s an increase.
Types of Businesses Affected by Mastercard’s New Flex Program Fee
The Mastercard Flex Program Fee specifically targets businesses participating in B2B virtual card payment programs. So if your business doesn’t process virtual card transactions or participate in B2B platforms, then you shouldn’t see this fee on your statements.
The types of businesses most likely to encounter this fee include:
- Enterprise software providers
- ERP systems
- B2B accounting platforms
- Procurement platforms
- Order-to-cash providers
- Large corporate suppliers
- B2B marketplaces
Mastercard also introduced 35 new product codes to reflect the Mastercard Flex Program interchange.
All product codes associated with MFP are eligible for ALM (Account Level Management) PGP (Product Graduation Plus), which allows merchants to graduate from one MFP code to another.
Mastercard’s existing Commercial Large Market product codes are also eligible for product graduation. This includes:
- MCF
- MCP
- MGF
- MNF
- MLA
- MWO
- MEO
- MCO
Overall, the program is designed to be flexible and incentivize businesses to participate in the program while simultaneously giving Mastercard additional control over its B2B payment flows.
Identifying the Mastercard Flex Program Fee on Your Statement
Mastercard Flex Program fees can appear on your statement under various names. It all depends on your processor.
While the fee is still relatively new, so far, we’re seeing it listed as:
- Mastercard Flex Program Fee
- MC Flex Program Fee
- MC MFP Fee
- MFP VCN Fee
- MC Flex VCN
If you’re on an interchange plus pricing model, this fee should be clearly itemized on your statement alongside other assessments.
Some processors group Mastercard assessments together as a single charge, making it harder to identify individual fees.
If you don’t see this fee itemized on your statement, but your business processes B2B transactions through virtual card programs, you’re likely still paying it—your processor might just be incorporating it into other line items or markups.
You should request a detailed breakdown of your fees to ensure your processor isn’t padding your assessments (charging more than 0.10% for this particular fee).
Are Mastercard Flex Program Fees Legit?
Yes, MFP fees are 100% legitimate.
While we see lots of bogus charges and hidden fees on merchant processing statements, this isn’t one of them.
Are Mastercard Flex Program Fees Negotiable?
No, Mastercard Flex Program (MFP) fees are not negotiable.
Unfortunately, these fees can’t be reduced or removed from your statement because they come directly from the card networks. That said, if your processor is charging some type of additional phantom markup for your participation in this program, any of those fees coming directly from your processor can be put on the negotiating table.
How to Minimize the Impact of Mastercard Flex Program Fees
While you can’t negotiate the rate itself, there are a few steps you can take to minimize the impact of this fee on your overall processing costs:
Evaluate Your B2B Payment Acceptance Methods: 0.10% may seem marginal, but it adds up over time—especially at a high volume. So you may want to consider whether accepting virtual card payments is the most cost-effective option for your B2B transactions.
Compare Total Costs: Weigh the MFP costs against other B2B payment methods, like ACH transfers or traditional commercial cards.
Closely Monitor Your Statements: Make sure that you’re not being charged flex program fees on transactions that don’t qualify for the program. This would be a shady move by your processor, but it’s totally possible, and we’ve seen far worse happen over the years.
Audit For Processor Markups: Again, the assessment fee itself is non-negotiable. But make sure your processor isn’t adding their own markups to the fee—either baked into the assessment charge itself or as a separate line item elsewhere on the statement.
Final Thoughts on the Mastercard Flex Program (MFP) Fee
Mastercard’s introduction of the flex program fee is part of the network’s larger effort to monetize the growing B2B virtual card payment market.
At 0.10% of the transaction volume, it’s relatively modest compared to other assessment charges, but it can definitely add up for businesses processing a significant amount of B2B payments.
You’ll need to ultimately decide if the added cost is worth you trying to seek alternative ways to accept B2B commercial transactions instead of relying on virtual card number (VCN) technology.
And if you’re fine paying the 0.10% fee for convenience, there are likely several other ways for you to reduce other fees to offset the impact of Mastercard’s Flex Program costs.
If you’re not sure how to handle this or what the most cost-effective option is for your business, contact our team here at Merchant Cost Consulting for assistance. We’ll audit your statements for free to identify any and all cost-saving opportunities and make sure you’re not being overcharged for any fees—including the Mastercard Flex Program assessment fee.