Some of the buzzwords in the merchant account business seems to be Level I, Level
II, and Level III data. Even though this information has been around for quite
some time, April is the big month for card association changes. And some of
the changes affected the regulations on how this data is processed. But exactly
what is this data?
Level I Data
Level I data includes:
Date
Merchant Name
City
State
ZIP Code
which is not prompted by the terminal. The merchant will need to enter the
purchase amount which also includes sales tax.
Level II Data
Level II Data includes:
Date
Merchant Name
Tax ID
Merchant Type Code
Merchant Category Code (MCC)
City
State
ZIP Code
This information will automatically programmed into your terminal and you should
not need to enter it. The merchant will then need to enter:
Purchase Amount Excluding Sales Tax
Sales Tax
Local Tax Indicator
Customer Code (if using a purchasing Card)
Your terminal should prompt you to enter the above information for all Level II
transactions.
Level III Data
Level III Data includes:
Date
Merchant Name
Tax ID
Merchant Type Code
Merchant Category Code (MCC)
City
State
ZIP Code
This information will automatically programmed into your terminal and you should
not need to enter it. The merchant will then need to enter:
Purchase Amount Excluding Sales Tax
Sales Tax
Local Tax Indicator
Customer Code (if using a purchasing Card)
Full Line Item Details
Your terminal should prompt you to enter the above information for all Level III
transactions.
Enhanced Data
With Level II and Level III data, some merchants can require even more specific
data depending on their category. Some examples are:
Fleet
Level II Data
Vehicle or Driver ID Number (AKA Customer Code)
Fuel Type
Fuel Quantity
Fuel Unit of Measure
Fuel Unit Cost
Fuel Tax Exemption Status
Gross Fuel Price
Level III Data
Odometer Reading
Service Type
Net Fuel Price
Non-Fuel Gross/Net Price
Item Discount Amount
Item Description
Item Commodity Code
Item Unit Cost
Item Quantity
Item Unit of Measure
Item Total
Airline Itineraries
Level II Data
Merchant Name / Original Ticker Number
Passenger Name
Departure Date
Origination City / Airport Code
Travel Agency Code / Name
Detailed Data for up to four legs of Travel
Carrier Code
Services Class
Stop-over Code
Destination City / Airport Code
Level III Data
Restricted Ticket Indicator
Total Fare / Tax / Fee Amount
Currency Code
Exchange ticket number and amount
Internet Indicator
Electronic Ticket Indicator
Conjunction Ticker Number
Ticket Issue Date
Fare Basis Code
Control ID detailed information for up to 198 legs of travel
Hotel Folios
Level II Data
Check-In Date
Hotel Folio Number
Number of Room nights
Level III Data
Daily Room Rate
Summary Tax Elements
Telephone and FAX Charges
Gift Shop Purchases
Movies Charges
Health Club Charges
No Show Indicator
Business Center Charges
Laundry Charges
Check In / Out Dates
Food & Beverages & Mini Bar Charges
Folio Number
Parking & Valet Charges
Cash Advances
Non-Room Charges
Purchasing
Level III Summary Data
Ship to / from ZIP Code
Destination Country Code
VAT invoice Reference Number
VAT tax amount / rate
Discount Amount
Freight / Shipping Amount
Duty Amount
Order Date
Level III Line Item Detail
Item Description
Item Quantity
Item Unit of Measure
Item Total
Item Commodity Code
Item Product Code
Item Unit Cost
Item VAT Tax Amount / Rate
Car Rentals
Level II Data
Days Rented
Car Rental Agreement Number
Renter Name
Check-Out Date
Level III Data
Daily/Weekly Rental Rate
Check Out/In Date
Location/City of Car Return
One-way/Drop-off Charges
Late Return Charges / Hourly Rate
Insurance Charges
Fuel Charges
Regular and Extra Mileage Charges
Total Tax/VAT
Telephone Charges
Car Class Code
No Show Indicator
Extra/Other Charges
Shipping and Overnight Courier Services Data
Level III Data
Tracking Number
Pick up Date
Origin/Destination Country Code
Number of Packages
Origin/Destination Name and Address
Item Service Description
Item Unit of Measure
Item Weight
Item Discount Amount
Item Net / Tax Amount
Temporary Help Services Data
Level III Data
Employee/Temporary Name
Social Security Number
Description
Cost Center
Week Start / End Date
Rate Indicator
This data might be be passed back to the consumer if the merchant has not made
the investment of such terminals. Merchants are only likely to pass this
data if there is a demand for it. Merchants who have made the necessary
changes to their systems will be capable of passing this enhanced data through
their card systems.