Fees hide in structure, not just the rate card.

Blended / MDR-style

Packages cost into a simpler percentage and/or fixed fee. Forecasting is easier. Transparency is lower. You may overpay on cheaper card types and under-see interchange and scheme components. Fine for some stages; often incomplete once volume and card mix get large.

IC++

Interchange plus plus passes through interchange and scheme / processing fees, plus a separately negotiated acquirer markup. Effective rate moves with card mix. The negotiable piece is usually the markup and commercial extras (FX, minimums, PCI, etc.), not interchange itself.

How to compare offers

Compare all-in cost on your mix: brands, debit/credit, domestic vs cross-border, auth vs settle, refunds, chargebacks, FX, reserves, gateway fees. Ask what is pass-through vs markup, how reserves and holds work, mid-contract change rights, and volume tiers. Structure and renegotiation often beat shopping a prettier headline. MCC and business model belong in the same conversation.

What we can and cannot say about price

What we can say: in roughly 200 pricing reviews, the offer we brought was cheaper than the merchant's existing one 97% of the time, because the volume we place with providers is aggregated across many merchants. What we cannot say: what your number will be before we have seen your card mix, corridors and contract. We publish our record, not a promise.

What we do / What we don't

Do: Unpack commercial structure; improve terms when they serve outcomes; prove on volume.

Don't: Quote a saving before seeing your data, or treat the headline rate as the whole cost.