VISA Commercial Card Data Requirements: Level 1, Level 2, and CEDP Product 3

Overview

This document provides the complete field requirements for VISA commercial card processing across three tiers:

• Level 1: Basic transaction data (all transactions)
• Level 2: Enhanced data for B2B transactions (being phased out April 18, 2026)
• CEDP Product 3: New standard replacing Level 3 (enforced October 17, 2025)

Note: Level 3 was the previous enhanced data standard that required line-item details. CEDP Product 3 replaces Level 3 with stricter validation requirements and better interchange rates. Level 2, which required enhanced transaction data but not line-item details, is being discontinued in April 2026.

Critical Timeline

• October 17, 2025: CEDP Product 3 enforcement begins, replaces Level 3
• April 18, 2026: Level 2 program completely discontinued
• 0.05% CEDP fee: Charged on all Level 2/Product 3 transactions (started April 2025)

Complete Field Requirements Table

Data Element	Level 1	CEDP Product 3	Data Type/Format	Notes	field
TRANSACTION BASICS
Merchant Identifier	✓	✓	String	Merchant ID	*
Order Amount (Total)	✓	✓	Decimal	Must match: line items + tax + shipping + duty - discount	amount
Currency Code	✓	✓	String (3)	ISO 4217 3-letter code (e.g., USD, EUR, GBP)	*
CARDHOLDER INFORMATION
Card Number	✓	✓	String (15-16)	Full card number	*
Card Expiration Date	✓	✓	String (MMYY)	4-digit expiration	*
CVV/Security Code	✓	✓	String (3-4)	Card security code	cvv2 (provided by payment elements if applicable)
Billing ZIP Code	✓	✓	String (5-9)	For AVS verification	billing_details.address.postal_code
Billing Address	✓	✓	String	Full billing address	billing_details.address.address_line1
MERCHANT INFORMATION
Merchant Name	✓	✓	String	Business name	*
Merchant Postal Code		✓	String (5-9)	Merchant ZIP code	*
Merchant Tax ID (TIN)		✓	String	Tax identification number	*
Merchant State Code		✓	String (2)	2-letter state code	*
TAX INFORMATION
Sales Tax Amount		✓	Decimal	Product 3: Can be $0 if tax exempt (Note: Level 2 required 0.1%-22% of total, but Level 2 is being phased out)	order_details.tax_amount
Tax Exempt Indicator		✓	Boolean	Set to true if tax exempt	order_details.tax_exempt
ORDER INFORMATION
Customer Code / PO Number		✓	String	Cannot be blank, null, or all zeros Must be meaningful value	order_details.po_number
Order Date		✓	Date	Date order was placed	order_details.order_date
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Ship To ZIP		✓	String (5-9)	Destination ZIP code	order_details.ship_to_zip
Ship From ZIP		✓	String (5-9)	Origin ZIP code	order_details.ship_from_zip
Ship To Country		✓	String (2)	2-letter country code	order_details.ship_to_country
TRANSACTION-LEVEL AMOUNTS
Freight/Shipping Amount		✓	Decimal	Total shipping cost. Can be $0	order_details.freight_amount
Duty Amount		✓	Decimal	Import tax/customs. Can be $0	order_details.duty_amount
Order Discount Amount		✓	Decimal	Transaction-level discount. Can be $0	order_details.discount_amount
LINE ITEM DETAILS (Required for EACH item in Product 3)
Item Description		✓	String	Cannot be blank, null, or all zeros/spaces Must be descriptive, not generic	order_details.items[].description
Item Name/Title		✓	String	Product name	order_details.items[].name
Commodity Code		✓	String (7+)	Cannot be blank, null, or all zeros 7-digit NIGP recommended	order_details.items[].material
Product Code / SKU		✓	String (≤12)	Cannot be blank, null, or all zeros Merchant's unique identifier	order_details.items[].upc subject to change pending validation with processor
Item Quantity		✓	Decimal	Number of units	order_details.items[].quantity
Unit of Measure		✓	String	e.g., EA, BX, CTN, DZ, LB	order_details.items[].uom
Unit Price / Unit Cost		✓	Decimal	Cannot be all zeros Price per unit	order_details.items[].unit_cost
Item Discount Amount		✓	Decimal	Line-item discount. Can be $0	order_details.items[].discount_amount
Item Tax Amount		✓	Decimal	Tax for this line item	order_details.items[].tax_amount
Item Total Amount		✓	Decimal	(Quantity × Unit Price) - Item Discount	order_details.items[].net_amount

Field Column Legend:

• * - Field is automatically provided by the system for all transactions (no action required)
• Field path (e.g., order_details.tax_amount) - Field must be provided in your API request using the specified path
• For line items, use array notation: order_details.items[] indicates each item in the items array requires these fields

Field Notes and Validation Rules

Level 1 (All Transactions)

• Purpose: Basic transaction authorization
• Interchange: Standard rates (highest)
• Requirements: Minimal cardholder and transaction data
• Validation: Basic card verification and AVS

CEDP Product 3 (October 17, 2025+)

• Purpose: Validated line-item transaction data (replaces Level 3)
• Interchange: 7-10% better than old Level 3 rates
• Key Differences from Level 2 (which is being phased out):
  • Requires ALL line-item details for each product (Level 2 did not require line items)
  • Tax CAN be $0 if transaction is tax-exempt (Level 2 required tax to be 0.1%-22% of total)
  • VISA validates accuracy and completeness, not just presence
  • No placeholder or generic data allowed
• Eligible Cards: Corporate, Purchasing, Fleet, Business Credit (NEW)

Critical Data Quality Rules for CEDP

VISA's machine learning validates:

❌ REJECTED Data

• Generic descriptions: "Product", "Item", "Service", "Merchandise"
• Placeholder text: "N/A", "TBD", "XXX", "000", "None"
• Static/repeated values across different transactions
• Blank, null, or all-zero fields where data is required
• Invalid calculations that don't match line-item math
• Commodity codes that don't exist or are inappropriate

✓ ACCEPTED Data

• Specific, unique descriptions: "HP LaserJet Pro M404dn Printer"
• Valid commodity codes: 7-digit NIGP or UNSPSC codes
• Accurate calculations: Item total = (Qty × Price) - Discount
• Transaction total = Line items + Tax + Shipping + Duty - Discount
• Meaningful customer codes/PO numbers from actual orders

Calculation Requirements

Line Item Total Calculation

Item Total = (Quantity × Unit Price) - Item Discount

Example:

• Quantity: 5 boxes
• Unit Price: $12.50 per box
• Item Discount: $2.50
• Item Total: (5 × $12.50) - $2.50 = $60.00

Transaction Total Calculation

Transaction Total = Sum of All Line Item Totals + Transaction Tax + Shipping + Duty - Order Discount

Example:

• Line Item 1: $60.00
• Line Item 2: $45.00
• Transaction Tax: $8.40
• Shipping: $10.00
• Duty: $0.00
• Order Discount: $3.40
• Transaction Total: $60.00 + $45.00 + $8.40 + $10.00 + $0.00 - $3.40 = $120.00

Note: Fleet fuel-only transactions have separate qualification rules and requirements.

Disqualified Merchant Categories (MCCs)

The following MCCs cannot qualify for Level 2 (until April 2026) or CEDP Product 3:

MCC Range	Category
3000-3299	Airlines
3501-3999	Car Rental / Hotels
4112	Passenger Railways
4411	Steamship and Cruise Lines
4511	Airlines and Air Carriers
4722	Travel Agencies and Tour Operators
5812	Eating Places and Restaurants
5814	Fast Food Restaurants
5962	Direct Marketing - Travel Related (High Risk)
5966	Direct Marketing - Outbound Telemarketing (High Risk)
5967	Direct Marketing - Inbound Teleservices (High Risk)
7011	Lodging - Hotels, Motels, Resorts
7512	Automobile Rental Agency
7513	Truck & Utility Trailer Rentals
7519	Motor Home and RV Rentals

Additional Qualification Requirements

CEDP Product 3 (and Level 2 until April 2026)

• Transaction must be CPS (Custom Payment Service) compliant
• Capture must follow authorization within 1 business day
• Transaction must be authorized online (not CAT terminal)

Large Ticket (>$6,980)

• Clearing within 2 business days (≤1 day between auth and capture)
• Corporate or Purchasing cards only

Common Unit of Measure Codes

Code	Description
EA	Each (individual units)
BX	Box
CTN	Carton
DZ	Dozen
LB	Pound
KG	Kilogram
FT	Foot
YD	Yard
HR	Hour
MO	Month
CS	Case
PK	Package
PR	Pair
RL	Roll
ST	Set