How can a PSP or platform reduce scheme fees?

By processing the way the schemes reward: network tokens on card-on-file, correct authentication indicators, closing pre-authorizations, capping reattempts, settling in local currency and routing to local acquirers. Payment orchestration with cost-aware routing and a monthly reconciliation of scheme fee invoices makes those savings visible.

Behavior changes the bill

A growing share of scheme fees rewards or punishes behavior. Mastercard’s European Customer Performance Development Fund, from January 1, 2027, charges non-tokenized card-on-file and unauthenticated traffic up to 10 basis points, phased to 2030. Visa’s token facilitation fee and secure credential fees point the same way. Enabling network tokenization, sending correct authentication indicators, closing pre-authorizations and capping reattempts are now pricing decisions as much as technical ones.

Routing, local acquiring and reconciliation

Cross-border and non-local settlement fees depend on where the acquirer sits. Routing a French card to a French acquirer rather than a Dutch one removes an intraregional fee; settling in the merchant’s local currency avoids the non-local settlement fee. Scheme fee invoices arrive by fee code, by currency and with delay, so operators need to compare the expected fee to the billed one and spot the integrity fees that signal a technical problem.

More detail in our #PayDecoding episode on Scheme fees.