Credit card and purchase card levels

The amount of sales transaction information that is transmitted depends upon your credit card processor and processor interface. Three levels have been defined by the credit card industry and determine the type of discount a merchant receives against their credit card transaction fees.

• Level 1: Basic credit card transaction data including the customer name, credit card number, and amount. Merchants might receive reduced fees if additional information is sent, such as address verification, swipe data, and card ID verification.
• Level 2: Requires purchase card and includes all of level 1 data, and additional order header information such as a PO number, freight charges, discounts, and tax. This additional information is itemized on the customer’s credit card statement. The merchant can receive additional processing discounts for providing this information.
• Level 3: Requires a purchase card and includes all of level 1 and 2 data, with the addition of line item detail from the order. The customer’s credit card statement includes all line item detail for more accurate accounting. Many corporations and government entities utilize purchase cards for buying low ticket items.

All three levels are supported by the Distribution SX.e Credit Card Interface. However, with the integration, CenPOS determines what level should be sent based upon the card type and processor. We recommend that the payment processor be set to “3” to always send Level 3 data. CenPos disregards data that cannot be used by the processor. And, if the card is a purchase card, and you don't send Level 3 data, the transaction could be downgraded.