Posted: October 30, 2026
Card networks change fees on a set calendar. Most changes happen in the spring and fall, according to the PayPal Braintree Fall 2026 network update guide published on September 4, 2026. The fall 2026 round introduced a new Mastercard Crypto Card Transaction Fee at a rate of 0.05% of the transaction amount. As reported by Merchant Cost Consulting, the change was effective on October 19, 2026.
The changes reported by Gratify Payments for October 2026 were described as more targeted; for instance, some crypto card transactions. This article summarizes the new changes for the Crypto Card Transaction Fee, determines the transactions that would be impacted, and explains how the new charge would appear on the merchant statement.
Merchant Cost Consulting announced a new charge, the Crypto Card Transaction Fee. It will be 0.05% of a card transaction if the transaction is funded by cryptocurrency. Gratify Payments reported the same charge and start date (October 19) in its analysis of merchant statements for October 2026.
There were several other changes to fees charged by Mastercard in October 2026, along with the new transaction fee on crypto cards. The changes included increasing the Decline Service Fee by Mastercard from 0.03 to 0.06 percent, and removing the minimum charge for the fee. The maximum charge for the fee was lowered for every transaction to $0.06 from $0.12.
The new transaction fee will be charged by Mastercard. Mastercard has not made the official announcement of the new fee. The fee and start date in this article are from the summaries provided by the processing companies and consultants, as cited.
The fee is assessed by Mastercard and passed through by the processor. According to Merchant Cost Consulting, the fee only applies if cryptocurrency is used to fund the transaction.
There are different types of crypto cards. As described by Mastercard, one type of crypto card is a card where the purchases are funded by the cryptocurrency that is held in the cardholder’s crypto wallet. When a card of this type is used to pay for a good or service, the crypto is sold, and the proceeds are transferred to the merchant. Mastercard also describes a different type of crypto card where the card is used to pay for a good or service and, in turn, rewards the cardholder by crediting them with cryptocurrency. A rewards card of this type does not meet Merchant Cost Consulting’s criteria of being funded by crypto.
The new fee that Mastercard has announced will be charged to merchants in addition to the fees charged to merchants through Mastercard’s Specialty Merchant Registration Program. The fees that Mastercard charges Specialty Merchants are for selling cryptocurrency and not for a customer using cryptocurrency to pay for a good or service. Mastercard’s Bulletin AP/LAC/MEA/US 12568.1 sets the Specialty Merchant Transaction Fee and the Specialty Merchant Volume Fee for transactions at registered crypto merchants at 2 cents and 10 basis points, respectively. TabaPay and Marqeta have both stated that these fees are expected to go into effect in June of 2026.
Mastercard has not made public the field that it uses to determine if a transaction is funded by crypto.
The acquirer and processor determine how the network fees are charged to the merchant. This can vary based on the pricing structure. With interchange-plus pricing, network service fees are passed through and shown either itemized or in a block, as explained by Payment Review in September 2026. With a flat-rate structure, network fees are generally less transparent and can be embedded in the overall rate.
According to Merchant Cost Consulting, based on October 2026 updates, network fee changes should be passed through to merchants at the networks’ set rates. Merchant Cost Consulting also noted that several processors informed merchants that discount rates and per-item fees would change as a result of updates by the card brands. However, Merchant Cost Consulting noted that network updates do not dictate a processor’s discount rates.
Gratify Payments also noted that a card brand update can allow a processor to raise the discount rate, even when the change does not apply to the merchant.
The cost per sale is low. A $100 purchase results in a fee of $0.05. A $1,000 purchase results in a fee of $0.50. These fees are calculated using the published rate and do not account for other network assessments. Processor mark-up is also not taken into account.
The fee scales with volume. At 0.05%, approximately $50,000 of crypto-funded Mastercard purchases in a month would carry approximately $25 in fees.
Crypto cards are functionally identical to other debit/credit cards and do not require any further changes by the merchant. Merchants are not provided information about the funding source used to make a particular transaction.
Mastercard states that crypto cards do not require any changes by merchants and Mastercard’s rules do not allow a merchant to refuse or be selective about which valid Mastercard cards they accept. Merchants who have questions about how this policy applies to them should contact their payment processor.
The fee begins on October 19, meaning it will only be reflected in transactions occurring on that date onward. To begin, review the section relating to network fees. Note whether there is a transaction fee or a rate of 0.05% for crypto card transactions. Depending on the processor, these fees may be consolidated. Gratify Payments suggests categorizing a statement into five groups to analyze fees: interchange fees, network fees, processor mark-up, other fees, and chargebacks/adjustments.
Then compare the processor mark-up line with the September statement to gauge if there have been any large increases and, if so, evaluate whether the increases were attributed to the card networks. Generally, these large increases can be negotiated with the processor.
Also, review the decline line. In the same month, the Decline Service Fee increased to 0.06% and is capped at $0.06, meaning if the fee is assessed, the merchant’s exposure is capped at $0.06 per decline. Additionally, as of 2026, specialty merchants may have begun to see a volume-based fee of 10 basis points for certain transaction types.
As of October 19, 2026, 0.05% will be charged by Mastercard as a transaction fee on cryptocurrency card purchases, according to Merchant Cost Consulting. Mastercard will also charge Specialty Merchant Fees to merchants that sell crypto. With interchange-plus pricing, the 0.05% fee will be passed through to merchants as part of the network fees. With flat-rate pricing, the fee is embedded in the overall rate. Merchant Cost Consulting explains that adjustments in processor mark-ups in October are not dictated by the card networks.
You only pay the fee if cryptocurrency funds that transaction and your processor passes the fee through. Interchange-plus plans will show it at cost, and flat-rate plans will bundle it into your rate.
Merchants are required by Mastercard’s Honor All Cards rule to accept valid payment cards and cannot refuse payment cards based on the funding source. These payment cards are also not distinguishable from others at the point of sale; therefore, you should refer to your merchant agreement.
On an interchange-plus statement, it will appear as a network fee or within a network fee total. On a flat-rate statement, it will not be shown independently.
