A Guide to Visa CEDP and Rules Changes in 2025

Visa is making a critical change to its interchange fee structure — and if you’re a B2B merchant, it could impact your bottom line as soon as October 2025.

Starting April 2025, the Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP) will begin enforcing invoice-quality data standards across B2B credit card transactions. Merchants who fail to provide complete, accurate Level 3 data — such as line-item details, item description, item quantity, item unit of measure, item freight/shipping amount, and more — risk higher interchange fees.

Let’s break down what’s happening, why it matters, and how Priority helps you stay compliant and profitable.

Key takeaways

• CEDP enforces new data quality standards for Visa’s interchange incentive programs, which offer lower fees for qualified B2B transactions.
• Program participants that fail to meet CEDP standards risk incurring higher transaction costs and may have their discounted rates retroactively reversed.
• Priority’s MX™ Gateway helps merchants comply with CEDP by enriching transaction data in real time and safeguarding interchange savings.

Table of contents

• What is Visa CEDP?
• Visa CEDP credit card processing levels
• Visa CEDP timeline: 2025 enforcement
• How does Visa CEDP business verification work?
• The risk: Higher fees without enhanced data
• The solution: Enhanced data with Priority
• Who should pay attention to Visa CEDP?
• Protect your margins. Stay CEDP compliant

What is Visa CEDP?

CEDP replaces Visa’s current Level 2 and Level 3 interchange incentives program. These voluntary programs offer reduced credit card interchange rates for B2B, corporate, commercial, and government transactions when certain conditions are met. 

With CEDP, Visa is restructuring its interchange incentive programs — redefining eligibility criteria, program structure, and applicable rates. 

Visa CEDP credit card processing levels

Credit card processing levels depend on the amount of data merchants provide payment processors to verify the transaction. For Visa customers, these categories will change as CEDP goes into effect.

Level 1

• What it is: Level 1 has the highest interchange fees and requires merchants to submit the least data. Most everyday consumer purchases fall into this category.
• Data required: Besides card number and CVV, merchants at Level 1 must provide data points such as transaction amount, transaction date, and currency code.
• Upcoming changes: Level 1 will remain the same under CEDP.

Level 2

• What it is: Level 2 has lower interchange fees than Level 1, and applies only to B2B, corporate, commercial or government transactions. 
• Data required: Level 2 requires merchants to submit all the information required at Level 1, plus additional data like sales tax amount, merchant zip code, and customer code/PO number.
• Upcoming changes: Under the new standards, most Level 2 programs will end by April 2026. Many cards will be eligible for expanded Level 3 programs instead (see below).

Level 3

• What it is: Merchants who qualify for Level 2 may opt to use Level 3 for large B2B transactions. This level has the lowest interchange fees, and the additional information required boosts transparency and trust for large transactions.
• Data required: Exact data points required can vary depending on credit card provider, but often include detailed information such as commodity or product codes, discount rates and/or discount per line item, and shipping or freight information.
• Upcoming changes: In October 2025, this program will be replaced with new incentives, with expanded eligibility to include new card types.

Visa CEDP timeline: 2025 enforcement

Visa is rolling out CEDP over the course of a year. Key milestones include:

• April 2025: CEDP program launched.
• October 2025: New CEDP incentives replace the current Level 3 program.
• April 2026: Most Level 2 programs end.

How does Visa CEDP business verification work?

Under CEDP, the business verification process may take up to three months as Visa analyzes data submitted by each business.

Once the process is complete, verified businesses receive reduced rates immediately with every transaction. However, if Visa detects ongoing data quality issues, businesses may lose their verified status.

Businesses that are not verified can still receive reduced rates. 

• Visa will vet the data quality of each individual transaction.
• Then, Visa will adjust the interchange rate retroactively when their analysis is complete.
• This adjustment may take up to two months. 

According to Visa, common data quality issues businesses should avoid include:

• Leaving fields blank
• Filling out fields with a single letter
• Filling out fields with generic information (e.g., a vague product description)
• Including erroneous data (e.g., item commodity code)

The risk: Higher fees without enhanced data

Under the new rules, card brands will require enhanced transaction data for commercial card payments to qualify for preferred interchange rates. This means that without Level 3 quality data, your transactions will default to higher-cost rates, B2B card payments will cost more, and you may lose hard-earned revenue after the fact.

The solution: Enhanced data with Priority

At Priority, we’re more than a payment platform. We’re your strategic partner.

Our CEDP-Ready MX™ Gateway provides the enhanced data required to:

• Qualify transactions for Level 3 interchange
• Fill in missing data fields
• Ensure long-term eligibility for discounted rates

With Priority:

• Real-time data enrichment ensures qualification for Level 3.
• Expert support helps you navigate complex interchange rules.
• Full assessment and onboarding ensure you’re ready before October 2025.

Who should pay attention to Visa CEDP?

This change affects a wide range of businesses:

• Wholesalers and distributors
• Professional services firms
• Manufacturers
• Suppliers accepting commercial cards

If you accept B2B card payments and currently rely on Level 2 or 3 interchange rate incentives, this shift will directly impact your cost of acceptance and margin.

Protect your margins. Stay CEDP compliant.

CEDP is not just a regulatory update — it’s a revenue-impacting event. The good news? You don’t have to navigate it alone.

Priority delivers the tech, tools, and team to:

• Future-proof your payment operations
• Optimize interchange savings
• Avoid costly chargebacks and rate reversals

Don’t let October catch you unprepared. Contact Priority today to get started with a CEDP readiness assessment and learn how our MX™ Gateway can help you protect your margins.