Card Brand Fees 101

First, every card issuing company that you work with (including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) will charge these fees on your statement. Sometimes referred to as Card Brand Fees, or even Card Association Fees, they get paid directly to these card issuers. They sometimes show up as NABU (“Network Access and Brand Usage”) next to the charge on the statement.

While most of the NABU fees are set in stone with the credit card issuer and are not usually up for negotiation, there are ways to ensure that the number and scope of these charges remain manageable. Putting robust security features in place and using best practices for card acceptance can reduce some of the penalty fees that occur for transactions without a physical card or that don’t clear on time. PAYARC has special offers for foundations and nonprofits, sometimes providing processing at cost. For additional tips for managing your card account fees, see your PAYARC representative.