Visa and Mastercard Payment Processing FAQs

What is an PSP?

A Payment Service Provider (PSP) enters into a contract with an Acquirer (Merchant Bank). The PSP handles payment processing, risk management, and compliance to ensure all transactions adhere to relevant laws and strict regulations, such as PCI (Payment Card Industry) data security standards.

PSPs register sub-merchants (website owners) and enable them to accept and settle transactions without needing to establish direct relationships with acquiring banks. As a result, sub-merchants can focus on core business activities.

How do I register to accept MasterCard and/or Visa for transactions with CCBill?

New CCBill merchants can complete the Merchant Application process and apply for Visa and/or Mastercard payment processing by agreeing to the MasterCard and/or Visa terms during that process.

If you are an existing CCBill merchant and wish to add Visa and/or MasterCard processing to your CCBill account, please contact CCBill Merchant Support.

What is the difference between a high risk and a low risk merchant accounts?

High risk is a term used by financial institutions to classify specific business models based on those models' overall history of chargebacks, returns, and refunds. High risk business models are burdened with higher levels of abuse carried out by both businesses and consumers.

If your business is considered high risk, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is at a higher risk of chargebacks and refunds. It only means that your business model is classified as high risk.

For further details, read our article on Risk Differences Between High Risk and Low Risk Accounts and our blog post on High Risk Merchant Accounts.

Why do high risk merchants have to pay an extra registration fee?

Card associations estimate that high risk merchant accounts cost more to manage than low risk accounts. High risk business models often incur higher chargeback rates and require close monitoring for fraud. Additionally, high risk businesses need to adhere to more card association rules and regulations.

The annual registration fee helps card association rules offset the costs associated with high risk payment processing and ensures that participants are responsible industry members and business people, and provides more transparency.

Does this registration fee go to CCBill?

No. While CCBill accepts the fee from you, the entire annual registration fee is immediately sent to credit card associations.

Do I have to pay an annual fee for each URL I own?

No. Visa and MasterCard require the annual registration fee to be paid for each Merchant account. Paying the annual registration fee enables you to accept Visa and MasterCard for processing on your main account and all of your subaccounts.

Do I need to make two Visa and  Mastercard registration payments if I have two CCBill Accounts?

A business entity with multiple merchant accounts may be eligible for a single card brand registration fee if the principal and business information are the same. For more information, please contact Merchant Support.

How Do I Renew My Card Brand Registration?

Mastercard Renewal

Your account may qualify and automatically be placed on an installment plan depending on sales volume and other factors.

CCBill automatically deducts the $500 renewal fee from your main account balance in installments of $100 for 5 weeks.

Installments begin 5 weeks prior to your anniversary date so that the total amount is collected before the anniversary date. If you want to keep using the service, simply do nothing, and we will auto-renew your MasterCard registration.

Alternatively, you may be required to pay the renewal fee by credit card or cashier’s check/money order. Sixty days before your anniversary date, you will be sent an email that provides instructions for the payment of your MasterCard renewal fee.

Visa Renewal

Instead of paying a one-time $950 Visa Renewal fee manually, you may qualify to pay the fee in 6 weekly installments. CCBill automatically deducts $153.33 from the main account for five weeks and then $153.35 for the final week.

This option is enabled by default if:

  • You were paid out a minimum of $153.33 per week over the past 3 months.
  • The $153.33 minimum was paid out through the main account.

Effective April 1, 2024, VISA, Inc. increased its high-risk merchant registration fee from $500 to $950 annually.

The Visa renewal process begins approximately three months before your anniversary date. You will be sent an email that provides detailed instructions for the payment of the Visa renewal fee.

Can I renew my Visa or Mastercard registration manually?

To manually renew your Visa registration:

  1. Log in to the Admin Portal.
  2. Open the Reports mega menu.
  3. Select By Topic Accounting.
  4. Choose the Account Overview report.
  5. Find and select the Visa Renewal link.

Just like with your initial registration payment, you may pay online with a credit card or with a money order. Personal checks are not accepted.

To manually renew your Mastercard registration please contact CCBill Merchant Support. A Merchant Support Representative is going to provide you with a Mastercard Renewal payment link.

What If I am late with my Visa or Mastercard renewal fee?

CCBill informs merchants that their annual Visa or Mastercard registration has expired by sending weekly email notifications to the email address on file.

Typically, Visa and Mastercard registrations are canceled in between the 2nd and 3rd email notifications. If that happens, you will be required to manually pay the $950 Visa or $500 Mastercard registration fee.

CCBill strongly encourages you to renew your Visa and Mastercard registrations on time.

Disclaimer: CCBill has no control over Visa or Mastercard acceptance of applications for Sub-Merchant status nor the renewal of that status.

How can I view my Visa and Mastercard payment history?

In order to check your Visa payment history:

  1. Log in to the Admin Portal using your credentials.
  2. Open the Reports mega menu, please.
  3. Find and select the Account Overview report.
  4. Select the Visa Payment History link. The report will display your Visa payment history, renewal deadline and dates.

Please contact CCBill Merchant Support to receive an overview of Mastercard fee payment history.

Which countries are supported for Visa and Mastercard processing via CCBill?

CCBill is a member of the Visa Sponsored Merchant Program and the MasterCard Payment Facilitator Program, and in order for Merchants to accept and process Visa and/or MasterCard transactions with us, you need to have a business and legal presence within a designated region (U.S., Canada, or a Europe participating country). As part of the application process, you shall be asked to provide valid proof that you are based in a country that falls within one of the participating Regions.

Merchants based in the U.S., Canada, EU, U.K., or elsewhere can join in easily!

Full list of countries designated for any processing via CCBill:

AndoraAustriaBear Island
BelgiumBulgariaCanada
Channel IslandCyprusCzech Republic
CroatiaDenmarkEstonia
Faroe IslandsFinlandFrance
GermanyGibraltarGreece
GreenlandHungaryIceland
Isle of ManIrelandItaly
LatviaLiechtensteinLithuania
LuxembourgMaltaMonaco
NetherlandsNorwayPoland
PortugalRomaniaSan Marino
SlovakiaSloveniaSpain
SwedenSwitzerlandUnited Kingdom
United StatesVatican City

What information does CCBill share with Card Brands?

Under card brand regulations, PSPs are required to provide card brands with each sub-merchant's monthly sales, chargeback, and credit data for each of the sub-merchant's billing URLs.

After review of this information by card brands, the sub-merchants who are out of compliance on chargeback ratios may be terminated at the discretion of card brands.

What if I don't want to process Visa and/or MasterCard payment cards?

CCBill offers processing payments with other global and regional payment cards and methods, such as Discover, JCB, Diners Club, Maestro, ACH Online Checks, EU Debit, SEPA Direct Debit, and DirectPay EU.