Choose a file format

Fexco supports three transaction file formats for reporting DCC and domestic transactions. All three feed the same Mercury processing and reporting systems, but they differ in structure, supported transaction types, and validation. Use the table below to compare the formats:

	XML I-file	I-file	V-file
When to choose	You prefer XML with schema-based validation, or you process ATM, POS, and e-commerce transactions in a single file.	You need to send Fexco an information-only file for DCC and foreign currency throughput reporting.	You need to submit a full transaction file with additional data types like chip card, contactless, airline, or 3D Secure.
Format	XML with XSD validation.	Fixed-length records (flat text).	Positional records (flat text). Record length varies by transaction type.
Purpose	Reports transactions to Fexco for processing and revenue tracking.	Sends transaction data to Fexco for reporting only. A third-party processor handles the actual transaction processing.	Sends a full transaction file to Fexco covering all sales and refunds for processing.
Supported channels	ATM withdrawals, in-store POS payments, and online or mobile e-commerce payments.	In-store POS payments and online or mobile e-commerce payments.	In-store POS payments, online or mobile e-commerce payments, and ATM withdrawals.
Cash advance reporting	Not supported.	Not supported.	Supported, but cash advances cannot include DCC due to compliance rules.
Extra transaction data	Transaction details only. No support for supplementary data like chip card or contactless fields.	Supports chip card and multi-currency pricing (MCP) data alongside transactions.	Supports the widest range of supplementary data: chip card, contactless, airline itinerary, 3D Secure, MCP, and more.
Validation	XSD schema validation.	Financial and logical integrity checks.	Financial and logical integrity checks.

Your Fexco project manager confirms which format to use during onboarding setup.

XML I-file

The XML I-file is an XML-formatted transaction file validated against a Fexco-provided XSD schema. It organizes transactions hierarchically by merchant, then by device type (ATM, POS terminal, or e-commerce channel), and then by individual transaction. The following details cover the format, encryption, and submission characteristics:

Format: XML with camelCase element names. Validated against an XSD before Fexco processes the file.
Encryption: Must be encrypted with GPG before submission (.gpg suffix). This is a PCI DSS requirement.
Transaction types: Sales (debit) and refunds (credit) across ATM, POS, and e-commerce channels.
Confirmation files: A .status file with a status code (S0 through S5) and, if applicable, an encrypted _rejections.xml.gpg file listing rejected transactions with reason codes.
Naming convention: XXXYYYYMMDDhhmmssnnnnnn.XML where XXX is a Fexco-assigned prefix and nnnnnn is a six-digit sequence number.

For step-by-step instructions on building and submitting your XML I-file, see Build and submit an XML I-file.

I-file

The I-file is a fixed-length record format used for information-only reporting. You submit the I-file to Fexco to report DCC and foreign currency throughput for your merchants on Fresh Insights. The following details cover the format, structure, and submission characteristics:

Format: Flat text file with fixed-length records. ASCII or UTF-8 encoding.
Record structure: Volume header (VOL1), user header label (UHL1), financial transaction records, subrecords (where needed), net summary records, net claim records, and a user trailer label (UTL1).
Transaction types: Sales (J1) and refunds (J2) only.
Subrecords: Supports MCP and supplemental reporting, ICC addendum, and authorization network reference data subrecords.
Integrity checks: Financial integrity (transaction totals must balance through summary, claim, and trailer records) and logical integrity (sequential record numbering must be unbroken).
Encryption: Must be encrypted with GPG before submission (.gpg suffix).
Empty files: If no transactions occurred during the reporting period, you must submit an empty I-file with only the header and trailer records.

For step-by-step instructions on building and submitting your I-file, see Build and submit an I-file.

V-file

The V-file is a fixed-length record format used for full settlement. You submit the V-file when Fexco processes and settles your transactions directly. It supports the widest range of transaction types and subrecords. The following details cover the format, structure, and submission characteristics:

Format: Flat text file with fixed-length records. Same structure as the I-file (VOL1 header, UHL1 header, transaction records, subrecords, summary records, claim records, UTL1 trailer).
Transaction types: Sales and refunds for standard transactions (J1, J2), chip card transactions (P1, P2), and airline transactions (K1, K2). Cash advances (J3) are also supported, but DCC is not permitted on cash advance transactions due to compliance requirements.

Subrecords: Supports all I-file subrecords plus the following additional types. The following table describes the V-file subrecord types.

Subrecord	Description
Integrated terminal subrecord	Terminal-specific data for integrated POS devices.
UPI and JCB subrecord	Additional fields for UnionPay International and JCB transactions.
Contactless subrecord	Contactless-specific transaction data including CVM limit and NFC indicators.
Airline itinerary data (Segment 2 Type 4 and Segment 3 Type 5)	Flight and itinerary details for airline transactions.
AMEX hospitality transaction addendum	Hospitality-specific fields for AMEX transactions.
3D Secure transaction subrecord	Authentication data for 3D Secure e-commerce transactions.
Credentials-on-file transaction subrecord	Data for stored credential transactions.
Pay-by-instalment transaction subrecord	Instalment payment details.

Integrity checks: Same financial and logical integrity structure as the I-file, with the addition of E6 summary records for cash advance transactions.
Encryption: Must be encrypted with GPG before submission (.gpg suffix).
Empty files: If no transactions occurred, you must submit an empty V-file with only the header and trailer records.

For step-by-step instructions on building and submitting your V-file, see Build and submit a V-file.

Next steps

Once you have identified your file format, follow the build-and-submit guide for your format:

Build and submit an XML I-file: structure, validate, encrypt, and submit an XML transaction file.
Build and submit an I-file: structure and submit a fixed-length information-only file.
Build and submit a V-file: structure and submit a fixed-length settlement file.

Getting started

Merchant boarding

Rate service

Transaction import

Android app

Go live

XML I-file

I-file

V-file

Next steps