Epoch hitting me up for $500 MC fee

Was just going to post a thread on this! Here's the email in full:

:: Epoch News :: MasterCard's New Designation and You

MasterCard has created a designation for billing companies identifying them as Payment Facilitators. The MasterCard designation is quite similar to Visa's Internet Payment Service Provider (IPSP) program which began in 2002. Each Payment Facilitator is required to register their clients with MasterCard, as is already done with Visa. Epoch has taken all the necessary steps to ensure that you are fully compliant with the new rules.

The information that you have already provided for Visa registration will now also be submitted to MasterCard. There are no changes with your ability to process transactions with Epoch and business will continue seamlessly.

As with Visa, there is an annual fee for MasterCard registration. That fee is $500 and your account representative will contact you by email with further details as the due date approaches.

Within the new guidelines, sponsored merchants that process more than $100k per year in MasterCard sales will be required to sign a simple agreement acknowledging the terms and conditions of Epoch's banks. However, you will be able to continue to utilize all of the services, features and benefits of your Epoch account without any changes. Your account representative will contact you regarding this if it applies to you.

We appreciate being your payment solution of choice. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

The Team at Epoch

I wonder if CCBill will follow?
The free ride is over! Of course, MasterCard only accounts for what, 13% of online transactions?

Yeap..it was inevitable..

Me too, not sure if its worth it since I haven't used them in forever and dont have many rebills in there.

damn i thought it was 30%.. now i can find your 13% and up to 20%

13% overall and as much as 20% for items/sites/countries not covered by Visa.

Yes it used to be more but Visa went way past them. Maybe this move by MasterCard will actually BOOST MC sales, or that's what MC is thinking/hoping.

That's a joke. Must be just to them, I know thousands of people, including myself that takes every type of credit card and there is no fee

suppose we're gonna find out lol

Big money in fees.

I thought there was always a mastercard fee? Just thought that most processors ate the mastercard and charged for the Visa. And I thought CCbill ate half the Visa, ate the Mastercard, and charged $750.

I'm totally confused though, every answer was usually a different one. Obviously the country is a factor as well.

if epoch is doing it will ccbill be next?

Barriers to entry, what I've banged on about for 10 years trouble is it's 10 years too late !