Announcements and Notices

Changes for Merchants who Choose to Apply A Surcharge on Credit Card Transactions

Effective Date: October 6, 2022

The Payment Card Networks have updated their requirements for Merchants who choose to apply a surcharge on Credit Card transactions.

UPDATE: Payment Card Network – Changes to Decline Codes, Rules and Fees

Effective Date: November 7, 2022

Beginning November 7, 2022, Visa and Mastercard will be making changes to their list of authorized Decline Codes and Rules surrounding their use, which could result in charges applied to your TDMS Account if it has Excessive Transaction Attempts (ETAs).

American Express OptBlue Changes

Effective Date: November 1, 2022

Beginning November 1, 2022, American Express OptBlue is changing and adding Industry Categories with corresponding Wholesale Discount Rates for Healthcare, Emerging Markets, Residential Rent and Utilities.

Changes for Merchants Offering Free Trials, Intro Promotions and Ongoing Subscriptions

Published Date: March 1, 2022

The Payment Card Networks have updated their requirements for Subscription Merchants. These changes are designed to improve transparency for Cardholders by easily identifying promotional transactions and providing a simple cancellation process.

Help Protect Your Merchant Account from Card Testing

Effective Date: Immediately

Implement recommended practices to help protect your Merchant Account against Card Testing. Where applicable, contact your website or shopping cart provider to have them make the required changes.

American Express Foreign Issue Debit Card

Effective Date: July 16, 2021

Beginning July 16, 2021, American Express is offering foreign issued debit cards. For Merchants who accept American Express, the wholesale rate of 1.28% will be applied to all Foreign Issued Debit Card transactions.

Relevant for: All Merchants Who Accept American Express

Payment Card Network Changes to Refund Processing – Customer Returns to be Sent for "Real Time" Issuer Authorization

Effective Date: May 3, 2021

Beginning May 3, 2021, Payment Card Networks (PCNs) are changing the way refunds are processed. Customer returns (refunds) will be sent for real-time Issuer authorization, making it possible for some refunds to be declined. Merchants are encouraged to update their refund policy to provide alternatives to complete the refund transaction in advance of the change. Review details behind the "Payment Card Network Changes to Refund Processing…" link above.

Relevant for:All Merchants

Payment Card Network - Fee Changes for Merchants in High Brand Risk Categories

Effective Date: April 17, 2021

Beginning April 17, 2021, Payment Card Networks (PCNs) are expanding existing High Brand Risk Merchant requirements globally and adding categories to the list of Merchants warranting additional oversight.

Archived communications

See below for a summary of previously communicated announcements and notices.

We're here for you and your business during COVID-19 (pdf)

Published Date: March 25, 2020

With COVID-19 top of mind, the well-being and safety of our merchants, partners, and colleagues is paramount. We understand the potential impact that this situation can have on your business and we are committed to providing you with our continued service and support.

Risks of manually keying credit card information (pdf)

Published Date: November 1, 2019

Manually keying credit card information into a Point-of-Sale (POS) device when the Cardholder is present significantly increases your risk of completing fraudulent transactions and incurring losses from Chargebacks. Using chip technology to process Card Present transactions is one of the most important and effective ways to help protect your business from card fraud.

TD Freedom POS device replacement (pdf)

Published Date: November 1, 2019

If you have a TD Freedom Point-of-Sale (POS) device, call us for a recommendation on a new device that suits your processing needs. We will provide onsite installation support and training at no additional cost.

Information on mandatory PCN updates (pdf)

Published Date: November 1, 2019

Recent Payment Card Network (PCN) changes have been made to contactless transactions, mobile payment acceptance, and signature requirements for receipts. Merchants will receive a letter from TD Merchant Solutions when these changes are applicable for your business.

PCN changes to stored payment information (pdf)

Published Date: June 1, 2019

Payment Card Networks (PCNs) have made changes to the rules governing how Cardholder payment information (credentials) are obtained, stored and processed. Business owners who offer Cardholders the option to store their payment information on file, must now disclose how Cardholder credentials will be used, obtain the Cardholders’ consent to store their information and let them know when changes are made to the terms of use.

Mandatory CVV capture for Card Not Present transactions (pdf)

Published Date: July/August 2018

Businesses are now required to capture the Card Verification Value (CVV) when processing transactions without the Cardholder present, such as through a website, mobile application, or telephone order. It’s important for business owners to update their payment acceptance process to make CVV capture mandatory. Adding this additional security measure will help support fraud prevention and will also help to mitigate instances of Chargebacks.