CMSPI - State of the Industry Report - 2025

2 PAYMENT METHOD PROFILES: CARD

Key Stakeholders in Four-Party Card Network Model

Gateway

Network

Merchant

Card Acquirer

Card Issuer

Consumer

Gateway Fees, Acquirer Fees, Network Fees, Interchange Fees

Network Fees, Interchange Fees (passed through to merchant)

Account Fees, Interest Payments, Overdraft Fees

Network Fees, Rewards/Cashback

Pays

Interchange Fees, Account Fees, Interest Payments, Overdraft Fees

Receives

Rewards/Cashback

Gateway Fees

Acquirer Fees

Network Fees

Sets the Level Of

Network Fees, Inerchange Fees

Gateway Fees

Acquirer Fees

Figure 2.7 In a three-party card network, one entity often performs the role of acquirer, issuer and network. These financial institutions contract directly with merchants and consumers, in addition to providing their own payments infrastructure. Prominent examples of three-party networks include American Express and Discover. Fee structures are generally simpler for a three-party card network, since there is usually only one entity being paid. As a result, there is no need for separate interchange, network and acquirer fees; merchants tend to be levied one single fee for each transaction. Three-Party Card Network Model

Initiates Card Payment

Consumer

Merchant

Gateway

Card Network

Card Issuer

Card Acquirer

In the three-party card network model, one entity performs the role of the issuer, the network and the acquirer.

Figure 2.8

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