Enhanced Level II & Level III Data

EPX platform supports Enhanced Level II and Level III processing, a feature engineered to help merchants target lower interchange fees on B2B, corporate, and purchasing card transactions. By including tax indicators and itemized line-item details formatted in Tag-Length-Value (TLV) alongside sales, authorizations, or captures, you provide the enhanced data intended to position your transactions for discounted processing rates, subject to individual card brand qualification rules.

How Level II & Level III Data Works

Level II

Level II processing is achieved by supplying tax amounts ( TAX_AMT ), tax exemption status ( TAX_EXEMPT ), and a tracking reference directly in standard API fields. EPX requires one of the following reference tags to be populated:

INVOICE_NBR
ORDER_NBR
REFERENCE_NBR

EPX uses the first item populated in the list above. If none of these three reference tags are supplied, EPX automatically populates REFERENCE_NBR with the transaction's BRIC (GUID) token. Although the ENHANCED_TLV tag is not mandatory to meet Level II requirements, it can still be supplied with transaction requests for summary and line item data to be displayed on the cardholder statement.

Level III

Level III processing builds upon Level II by adding granular itemization using the ENHANCED_TLV field. The ENHANCED_TLV tag encodes summary-level details (such as customer reference numbers, shipping costs, or order dates) and item-level details (such as commodity codes, product descriptions, unit costs, and quantities) into a structured single string using Tag-Length-Value formatting.

Card Brand Requirements Notice

Summary and line item sub-tags indicated as optional or required are based on card brand requirements. Card networks may update these requirements in the future based on program changes such as Visa Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP) or Mastercard Enhanced Data Rate.

Critical Processing Rules

Data Validation: All TLV tags must contain valid (real) data. Tags populated with placeholder values such as all zeroes or all spaces are invalid and will not be included in network transmissions.
Amount Calculation: All counts and sub-amounts within summary data, line-item data, and the TAX_AMT tag must be accurately calculated so that line item totals plus taxes reflect the exact total in the AMOUNT API tag.
Card Brand Level III Programs: Visa and MasterCard offer official Level III qualification programs. While Discover and American Express do not currently offer formal Level III interchange programs, enhanced summary and line-item TLV data can still be submitted with transactions to be displayed on cardholder statements.
Summary Set Constraint: Only one summary data TLV set tag (002) is permitted per ENHANCED_TLV string. If multiple summary sets are submitted, EPX evaluates only the first set found and ignores subsequent 002 sets. All summary sub-tags must be valid and meet minimum requirements. Multiple line-item sets (003) are supported.

Adding Level II and III processing to your application is accomplished by submitting requests via the Server Post API with Sale (CCx1), Authorization Only (CCx2), or Capture Only (CCx4) transaction types.

Integration Guide

Environment	Base URL
Sandbox	https://secure.epxuap.com

How To Test

Get Sandbox Credentials by clicking the "Get Sandbox Creds" button on the product page to send Server Post requests in a test environment. Ensure all numeric counts, totals, and tax amounts match the sum of line item totals in the ENHANCED_TLV payload to prevent network rejection.

Supported Character Set Formats

The following variable types define character set rules and formatting requirements for ENHANCED_TLV data elements:

Variable Type	Definition	Supported Characters
AU	Alpha upper case	A-Z
DO	Decimal Optional	Numeric values with optional decimal point (e.g., n, n.n, n.nn, n.nnn, n.nnnn)
DR	Decimal Required	Numeric values requiring explicit decimal point (e.g., n.nn or n.nnnn)
N	Numeric	0-9
S1	Special 1	Space , -
S5	Special 5	Space
S6	Special 6	Space, -
S7	Special 7	Standard character string
YN	Yes / No	Y or N

TLV Format and Structure Overview

Level III data transmitted via the ENHANCED_TLV API field uses Tag-Length-Value formatting:

Tag: Fixed 3-digit numeric string [000-999] identifying the data element or set.
Length: Fixed 4-digit numeric string [0001-9999] representing the exact character count of the following value.
Value: Variable alphanumeric content up to 9,999 characters.

Main TLV Sets

The ENHANCED_TLV payload is built by concatenating up to three main TLV Sets:

Set 001 (TLV Set Type): Required first tag in the TLV string. Defines the card brand format (VISA_G, MC_G, DISC_G, AMEX_A20).
Set 002 (Summary Data): Contains transaction-level summary sub-tags (e.g., customer codes, shipping/freight charges, order dates). Length header is 4-digit numeric (N4).
Set 003 (Line Item Data): Contains item-level sub-tags. Length header is 4-digit numeric (N4). Multiple 003 sets can be concatenated for multi-item purchases.

Example TLV String Breakdown (Visa General)

Full Raw String:

Parsed Elements Breakdown Table:

TLV Tag	Plaintext Value	TLV Representation
001 (Set 001 Type - Mandatory)	VISA G	`0010006VISA_G`
002 (Summary Data Set)	Summary Set Header (Length 47 bytes)	`0020047`
001 (Sub-Tag)	CUSTOMER REF NUM	`0010016CUSTOMER REF NUM`
005 (Sub-Tag)	0.00	`00500040.00`
011 (Sub-Tag)	030722	`0110006030722`
003 (Line Item Data Set)	Line Item Set Header (Length 110 bytes)	`0030110`
001 (Sub-Tag)	ITEM QUANT	`0010010ITEM QUANT`
002 (Sub-Tag)	ITEM DESCRIPTION	`0020016ITEM DESCRIPTION`
003 (Sub-Tag)	PRODUCT CODE	`0030012PRODUCT CODE`
004 (Sub-Tag)	2	`00400012`
005 (Sub-Tag)	UNIT MEASURE	`0050012UNIT MEASURE`
006 (Sub-Tag)	12.25	`006000512.25`
010 (Sub-Tag)	24.50	`010000524.50`

Visa Business & Corporate Cards - General (VISA_G)

Visa Level III transactions require fixed set type VISA_G as the first tag. TAX_AMT and TAX_EXEMPT are supplied via standard API calls and are not included inside ENHANCED_TLV.

Set 001 Type

TLV Set Tag	TLV Data	Variable Type	Max Length	Requirement
001	Always use fixed value "VISA_G"	Alpha upper case with underscore	6	Mandatory

Set 002 Summary Data Header & Sub-Tags

Conditional: Mandatory only if summary data sub-tags are included in the string; otherwise optional and can be omitted. Set tag 002 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Only one Set 002 is allowed per string.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Customer Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	17	Optional
004	Discount Amount	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
005	Freight/Shipping Amount	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
006	Duty Amount	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
007	Destination Postal/Zip Code	AU, N, S5, S7	Alphanumeric	10	Optional
008	Ship From Postal/Zip Code	AU, N, S5, S7	Alphanumeric	10	Optional
009	Destination Country Code	AU, N	Alpha/Numeric	3	Optional
010	VAT Invoice Reference Number	AU, N, S6	Alphanumeric	15	Optional
011	Order Date	N6	MMDDYY	6	Optional
012	VAT/Tax Amount (Freight/Shipping)	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
013	VAT/Tax Rate (Freight/Shipping)	N, DR	n.nn	5	Optional

Set 003 Line Item Header & Sub-Tags

Mandatory: Set tag 003 must be present in the TLV string. Set tag 003 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Multiple line item sets are allowed. Only valid line item data set tags will be used if all line item sub-tags are valid and meet minimum requirements.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Item Commodity Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	12	Mandatory
002	Item Description	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	26	Mandatory
003	Product Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	12	Mandatory
004	Quantity	N, DO	n (decimal not required), n.n, n.nn, n.nnn, n.nnnn	12	Mandatory
005	Unit Of Measure	AU, N	Alpha/Numeric	13	Mandatory
006	Unit Cost	N, DR	n.nn, n.nnnn	13	Mandatory
007	VAT/Tax Amount	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
008	VAT/Tax Rate	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
009	Discount per line Item	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional
010	Line Item Total	N, DR	n.nn	13	Mandatory

MasterCard Business & Corporate Cards - General (MC_G)

MasterCard Level III processing requires fixed set type MC_G as the first tag. TAX_AMT and TAX_EXEMPT are supplied via API calls and are not part of ENHANCED_TLV.

Set 001 Type

TLV Set Tag	TLV Data	Variable Type	Max Length	Requirement
001	Always use fixed value "MC_G"	Alpha upper case with underscore	4	Mandatory

Set 002 Summary Data Header & Sub-Tags

Mandatory: Set tag 002 must be present in the string. Set tag 002 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Only one summary set is allowed; additional summary sets are ignored.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Customer Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	25	Mandatory

Set 003 Line Item Header & Sub-Tags

Mandatory: Set tag 003 must be present. Set tag 003 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Multiple line item sets are allowed. Only valid line item data set tags will be used if all line item sub-tags are valid and meet minimum requirements.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Product Code	AU, N, S6	Alphanumeric	15	Mandatory
002	Item Description	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	35	Mandatory
003	Item Quantity	N, DO	n (decimal not required), n.n, n.nn, n.nnn, n.nnnn	12	Mandatory
004	Item Unit Of Measure	AU, N	Alpha/Numeric	3	Mandatory
005	Extended Item Amount	N, DR	n.nn	13	Mandatory
007	Purchase Order	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	17	Optional

Discover Enhanced Data - General (DISC_G)

Discover Enhanced Data uses set type DISC_G. While Discover does not currently offer a formal Level III interchange program, enhanced data can be supplied to be displayed on cardholder statements. TAX_AMT and TAX_EXEMPT are supplied via API calls and are not part of ENHANCED_TLV.

Set 001 Type

TLV Set Tag	TLV Data	Variable Type	Max Length	Requirement
001	Always use fixed value "DISC_G"	Alpha upper case with underscore	6	Mandatory

Set 002 Summary Data Header & Sub-Tags

Conditional: Mandatory only if summary sub-tags are included; otherwise optional and can be omitted. Set tag 002 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Only one summary set is allowed.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
004	Sales Tax Indicator	YN	Y or N	1	Optional
005	Alternate Tax Amount	N, DR	n.nn	12	Optional
006	Tax Rate Applied	N, DR	n.nn	6	Optional
007	Ship to Postal Code	AU, N, S5, S7	Alphanumeric	10	Optional
008	Ship From Postal Code	AU, N, S5, S7	Alphanumeric	10	Optional

Set 003 Line Item Header & Sub-Tags

Conditional: Mandatory only if line item sub-tags are included; otherwise optional and can be omitted. Set tag 003 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Multiple line item sets are allowed.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Dept/Category Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	8	Optional
002	Item Description	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	35	Optional
003	Product Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	20	Optional
004	Item Quantity	N	Numeric	5	Optional
005	Item Unit of Measure	AU, N	Alpha/Numeric	3	Optional
006	Item Amount	N, DR	n.nn	12	Optional
009	Discount Amount	N, DR	n.nn	12	Optional
011	Promotional Code	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	6	Optional
012	Promotional Start Date	N8	MMDDYYYY	8	Optional
013	Promotional End Date	N8	MMDDYYYY	8	Optional

American Express Enhanced Data (AMEX_A20)

American Express Enhanced Data uses set type AMEX_A20. While American Express does not currently offer a formal Level III interchange program, enhanced data can be supplied to be displayed on cardholder statements. TAX_AMT and TAX_EXEMPT are supplied via API calls and are not part of ENHANCED_TLV.

Set 001 Type

TLV Set Tag	TLV Data	Variable Type	Max Length	Requirement
001	Always use fixed value "AMEX_A20"	Alpha upper case with underscore	8	Mandatory

Set 002 Summary Data Header & Sub-Tags

Conditional: Mandatory only if summary sub-tags are included; otherwise optional and can be omitted. Set tag 002 length indicator is a 4-digit numeric value (N4). Only one summary set is allowed.

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Department Name	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	40	Optional

Set 003 Line Item Header & Sub-Tags

Sub-Tag	Data Element	Variable Type	Format Requirement	Max Length	Requirement
001	Item Description	AU, N, S1	Alphanumeric	19	Optional
002	Item Quantity	N	Numeric	3	Optional
003	Item Amount	N, DR	n.nn	13	Optional

HTTPS POST Request Samples

Data is formatted using key-value pair (x-www-form-urlencoded) encoding and sent via POST to the Server Post API over port 443.

Level II Request (CCx1 - Sale with Tax)

Level III Request (CCx1 - Visa Sale with TLV Data)

Request Fields

Field Name	Description
CUST_NBR / MERCH_NBR / DBA_NBR / TERMINAL_NBR	Merchant credentials forming the 4-part authentication key.
TRAN_TYPE	Transaction type code (`CCX1` for Sale, `CCX2` for Auth Only, `CCX4` for Capture Only).
AMOUNT	Total dollar amount of the transaction. Must reflect taxes, discounts, and item grand totals.
TAX_AMT	The tax portion included in the transaction amount. Set to `0.00` if tax-exempt.
TAX_EXEMPT	Indicates tax exemption status (`Y` or `N`).
INVOICE_NBR / ORDER_NBR / REFERENCE_NBR	Transaction reference identifiers used to fulfill Level II requirements. EPX populates REFERENCE_NBR with BRIC if all three are omitted.
ENHANCED_TLV	Formatted string containing Level III TLV set tags and sub-tags.

Response Validation

To verify execution, evaluate the AUTH_RESP field in the XML response. Code 00 or 85 represents approval; other values denote decline or rejection. For further assistance, refer to the EPX Data Dictionary.