MasterCard Rules (PDF)

Asia/Pacific Region Rules
5.11 Prohibited Practices
size, prominence, or sequencing of payment choices, or through other
communications to customers (provided that the Merchant will abide by the
Standards relating to the display of the Marks including, but not limited to,
the MasterCard Acceptance Mark); or
5. communicating to customers the reasonably estimated or actual costs
incurred by the Merchant when a customer uses particular payment cards or
forms of payment or the relative costs of using different general purpose
payment cards or forms of payment.
5.11.2 Charges to Cardholders
Rule 5.11.2 of Chapter 5, “Merchants” as it applies in American Samoa, Guam,
and the Northern Mariana Islands is replaced with the following:
A Merchant must not directly or indirectly require any Cardholder to pay a
surcharge or any part of any Merchant discount or any contemporaneous
finance charge in connection with a Transaction. A Merchant is permitted to
charge a fee (such as a bona fide commission, postage, expedited service or
convenience fees, and the like) if the fee is imposed on all like transactions
regardless of the form of payment used, or as the Corporation has expressly
permitted in writing. For purposes of this Rule:
1. A surcharge is any fee charged in connection with a Transaction that is not
charged if another payment method is used.
2. The Merchant discount fee is any fee a Merchant pays to an Acquirer so that
the Acquirer will acquire the Transactions of the Merchant.
5.11.3 Minimum/Maximum Transaction Amount Prohibited
Rule 5.11.3 of Chapter 5, “Merchants” as it applies in American Samoa, Guam,
and the Northern Mariana Islands is modified to include the following:
A Merchant may set a minimum Transaction amount to accept a Card that
provides access to a credit account, under the following conditions:
1. the minimum Transaction amount does not differentiate between Issuers;
and
2. the minimum Transaction amount does not differentiate between MasterCard
and another acceptance brand; and
3. the minimum Transaction amount does not exceed USD 10 (or any higher
amount established by the Federal Reserve by regulation).
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MasterCard Rules • 12 December 2012 10-5