Visa, one of the largest credit card companies in the world, recently announced a series of changes to its fees and policies that are having a significant impact on small businesses in America. These changes include new fees for certain types of transactions, as well as new rules around chargebacks and fraud. In this podcast episode, we'll explore how these changes are affecting small businesses across the country, and what steps they can take to mitigate their impact.
To start, we'll provide an overview of the changes that Visa has made to its fees and policies. According to Visa's website, these changes are designed to “better align Visa's fees with the value delivered to clients and the costs associated with providing Visa products and services.”
One of the biggest changes that Visa has made is the introduction of new fees for certain types of transactions. For example, merchants who accept credit card payments from international customers will now be charged a fee of 1.5% for these transactions. This is in addition to the standard interchange fee that merchants already pay on all credit card transactions.
Another change that Visa has made is around chargebacks. A chargeback occurs when a customer disputes a transaction and requests a refund from the merchant. In the past, merchants were able to challenge these chargebacks and potentially avoid having to pay the refund. However, Visa's new rules make it more difficult for merchants to successfully challenge chargebacks, which can be costly for small businesses.
Finally, Visa has also introduced new rules around fraud prevention. Merchants who experience a high level of fraudulent transactions may now be required to pay a fee for each transaction that is deemed fraudulent. This fee is designed to encourage merchants to take proactive steps to prevent fraud, such as using advanced authentication technologies or monitoring their transactions more closely.
One of the biggest challenges for small businesses is the new fees that Visa is introducing for certain types of transactions. For example, small businesses that sell products or services to international customers may now face an additional 1.5% fee on these transactions. This can add up quickly, especially for businesses that rely heavily on international customers. For some small businesses, this fee increase can mean the difference between profitability and operating at a loss.
Small businesses are also feeling the impact of Visa's changes to chargebacks. As we mentioned earlier, chargebacks occur when a customer disputes a transaction and requests a refund from the merchant. In the past, merchants were able to challenge these chargebacks and potentially avoid having to pay the refund. However, Visa's new rules make it more difficult for merchants to successfully challenge chargebacks, which can be costly for small businesses.
This is particularly problematic for small businesses that rely heavily on credit card transactions. For example, a small online retailer that sells clothing may experience a high volume of chargebacks due to fraudulent activity or customer disputes. Under Visa's new rules, this retailer would be required to pay a fee for each of these chargebacks, which can quickly add up and eat into their profits.
Finally, small businesses are also feeling the impact of Visa's new rules around fraud prevention. While preventing fraud is certainly a worthy goal, some small businesses are finding it difficult to implement the necessary measures to avoid these fees. For example, small businesses that lack the resources to invest in advanced authentication technologies or hire additional staff to monitor transactions may struggle to avoid these fees.