CardTraq is an analytics platform to optimize card network fees, interchange, and compliance.
Payment card networks continuously update their pricing and compliance requirements.
Staying current is a time-consuming and laborious process, but failure to do so can incur significant hits to profitability.
Network-driven costs represent a substantial savings opportunity for issuers, acquirers, & BIN sponsors.
We focus on two broad P&L drivers…
Interchange
Network Fees
…and two levers to maximize profitability and competitiveness:
Cost Reduction
Income Optimization
We typically identify potential network fee savings of 7-15%, interchange fee reduction of 5-10%, and improve cost recovery by up to 50%.
Our offerings are relevant to all types of card - credit, debit, prepaid, payroll, commercial - as long as they are Visa or Mastercard branded
Network Fee Tracking
Effortlessly understand, control, compare and forecast your costs.
Saving our clients millions in network fees, every year.
Interchange Tracking
Gain detailed visibility into interchange drivers & improvement levers.
Strengthen P&L control, support better strategic decision-making and forecasting accuracy.
Compliance Tracking
Proactively manage card network updates – all in one place.
Help your teams stay compliant, aligned, and efficient.
Custom Services
Additionally, we offer tailored profitability engagements, leveraging our expert practitioners, through our consulting organization.
Our experts have supported many of the world's leading payments organizations
“Before CardTraq, network fees were a black box. Now, we have a clear monthly view of every charge, and can challenge unexpected items with confidence. We’ve already saved seven figures and strengthened our merchant pricing.”
COO, Mid-Sized Acquirer
“CardTraq helped us uncover hidden fees and gave us the transparency we needed to streamline our cost structure. It’s rare to find a tool this powerful that’s also this easy for a bank to use.”
Head of Product & Ops, Digital-First Issuer
“CardTraq turned fee optimization from a manual slog into a strategic advantage. We now track trends across multiple regions and products, spot anomalies early, and make more informed decisions.”
CFO, Global Issuer
FAQs
Why are my Visa and Mastercard costs going up?
1
Visa and Mastercard regularly introduce new fees, adjust current fee levels, and expand optional and mandatory services. Because these changes are incremental, they often go unnoticed until the cumulative impact becomes significant. Network fees have been growing faster than underlying payment volumes, which means costs can rise even when transaction growth is flat.
What is network fee tracking?
2
Network fee tracking is the process of monitoring, analyzing, and governing the fees charged by card networks like Visa and Mastercard. It goes beyond reviewing invoice totals by breaking costs down by fee type, driver, and program segment so teams can identify what changed, why, and whether it is controllable.
What is the difference between network fee tracking and interchange tracking?
3
Network fee tracking focuses on the charges paid to card networks for infrastructure, programs, and services. Interchange tracking focuses on the fees that flow between issuers and acquirers on each transaction. Both affect payments profitability, but they are governed differently and require different analytical approaches.
How can issuers and acquirers reduce card network costs?
4
The most common opportunities include eliminating optional network services that are no longer needed, correcting enrollment and governance gaps, improving cost allocation and pass-through frameworks, and identifying operational behaviors that trigger avoidable fees. Structured visibility is the starting point, because most savings are not visible until the underlying fee drivers are understood.
What types of card programs are affected by network fees?
5
Network fees apply across all Visa and Mastercard branded card programs, including consumer credit, debit, prepaid, payroll, and commercial cards. They also apply across program models, whether the organization is an issuer, acquirer, BIN sponsor, ISO, or fintech.
How often should card network fees be reviewed?
6
Network fees should be reviewed on an ongoing basis, not just when costs spike. A structured monthly review helps teams build pattern recognition and catch changes early, while deeper quarterly reviews can surface optimization opportunities tied to optional services, governance gaps, or evolving network programs.
Want to learn more about how card network fees work? Read our full explainer.
Ready to optimize your network fees?
Our team of seasoned experts is here to help you gain control of your payment card costs. Let us show you how CardTraq can optimize your compliance and network fee management to deliver significant savings.
Book a demo or contact us for a personalized consultation.