Most in-person merchants will qualify for Visa’s CPS Retail rate structure. CPS stands for “Custom Payment Service”. The CPS classification is typically known as the best basic rate structure offered by Visa, and CPS requirements are often the “minimum” qualification requirements for more advanced interchange rates. Read all about CPS here. In a nutshell – you have to first qualify for CPS rates before other more advantageous rate structures will apply. The “CPS Retail” category encompasses traditional consumer credit cards, as opposed to business/purchasing cards. Barring a few exceptions, most merchants are able to receive this interchange rate. Below are the basic qualifications, plus you’ll see each type of card that’s eligible for CPS rates, along with the associated potential downgrade: