Which statement best describes ARC's policy on card brand acceptance across participating carriers?

Which statement best describes ARC's policy on card brand acceptance across participating carriers?

• A. ARC requires universal acceptance of all brands by all carriers.
• B. Acceptance is identical for every carrier.
• C. Acceptance varies by carrier, and each carrier may set which brands it accepts.
• D. ARC prohibits any brand that is not supported by all carriers.

Answer: (C)

Acceptance varies by carrier because each participating carrier negotiates its own relationships with card networks and decides which brands it will process. ARC handles the overall reporting framework across multiple carriers, but it does not impose a single universal list of accepted brands for all carriers. As a result, one carrier may accept Visa and MasterCard, another may add American Express or Discover, or have different brand offerings altogether. This is why the best description is that acceptance varies by carrier and each carrier may set which brands it accepts.

Acceptance varies by carrier because each participating carrier negotiates its own relationships with card networks and decides which brands it will process. ARC handles the overall reporting framework across multiple carriers, but it does not impose a single universal list of accepted brands for all carriers. As a result, one carrier may accept Visa and MasterCard, another may add American Express or Discover, or have different brand offerings altogether. This is why the best description is that acceptance varies by carrier and each carrier may set which brands it accepts.