# CX specifications for distribution partners
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/unified-installments/documentation/experience-design-guide/installments-solutions-for-existing-cards/cx-specifications/index.md

Follow these CX specifications to provide consumers with a clear, consistent, and scalable experience. All distribution partners enrolled in Mastercard Installments Services must meet the mandatory requirements outlined below. As a part of the CX certification process, partners will be evaluated and certified against these requirements. Mastercard provides a downloadable CX certification checklist to help assist you with the process of the certification process.

In addition to mandatory requirements, we have also recommended best practices for distribution partners that can further enhance the experience but are not mandatory.

## Offer presentment {#offer-presentment}

### Mandatory requirements {#mandatory-requirements}

To ensure consistency, clarity, and compliance, distribution partners must:

* **Display all offers (1):** All installment offers received in the Offers API must be presented without any omission or alterations, providing consumers with an accurate selection of all available offers. Additionally, no offer should be preselected by the distribution partner when first displayed.
* **Display offers in exact order (2):** All offers must be presented in the order in which they are received in the Offers API response.   

### Additional best practices {#additional-best-practices}

**Informing cardholders about the availability of offers (1):** Distribution partners should use messaging like "Pay in installments" to inform cardholders about the availability of installment offers associated with a given card.

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/add-best-practices.png)

## Plan components {#plan-components}

### Mandatory requirements {#mandatory-requirements-1}

All components must be accurately displayed as received in the Offers API response within the expanded offer details to provide a seamless experience, ensuring transparency and ease of comparison between available plans. All components listed below must be supported by distribution partners.

Some components will always appear in the Offers API response and must be displayed by distribution partners for all offer types. The fixed plan components are:

* **Plan title:** Include the tenure and monthly installment amount. The plan title must always be shown for every offer in one of the following formats:
  * **As a title phrase (1a):** Display the plan title as the phrase: "# monthly payments of $XX.XX".
  * **As separate components (1b):** Alternatively, display the tenure and monthly installment amount separately.
    * For tenure, use '# payments' or 'Pay in #'.
    * For the monthly installment, use '$XX.XX per month' or '$XX.XX / month'.
* **Order total (2):** The total amount due for the order must always be displayed for every offer.
* **Total cost (3):** The total cost of the installment plan including order total plus any applicable interest and fees must always be shown for every offer.

Based on the type of offer, some components are dynamic, and must be displayed only if present in the Offers API response. The dynamic plan components are:

* **Interest (4):** The interest rate (%) defined by the issuer. If the interest rate is 0 or the 'interest' field is missing in the API response, distribution partners must either suppress the interest field altogether, and/or display a 'No interest' message along with the plan title.
* **Monthly fee (5):** Monthly fee amount associated with the offer. The "monthly fee" value present in the Offers API response, must be shown below the plan title as the first item, written as: "$x monthly fee included"; or "monthly fee included: $x"; or "includes $x monthly fee". If the fee value is not present in the API response, suppress the field or display a 'No fees' message along with the plan title.
* **Total fee (6):** If the offer construct includes a monthly / recurring fee, the total fee amount associated with the offer must be displayed. If a total fee value is not present in the API response, it must be suppressed.
* **One-time fee (7):** If the offer construct includes a one-time fee, the fee amount must be displayed for the offer. If a one-time fee value is not present in the API response, it must be suppressed.   
  **Monthly Installment (7):** For offers that include a one-time fee, the first installment and the subsequent installment amounts should be clearly displayed. Show the initial payment including one-time fee as '1st installment' and all subsequent payments as '2nd installment onwards'. For all other offer constructs, the monthly installment amount should not be repeated as a plan component if it is already included in the plan title.
* **Effective APR (8):** If available, effective APR (including interest and fee) must also be displayed for ease of comparison between different offers. In the absence of this field in API response, the APR must be suppressed.

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/plan-components.png)

## Issuer disclosures and Terms and Conditions {#issuer-disclosures-and-terms-and-conditions}

### Mandatory requirements {#mandatory-requirements-2}

**Terms and Conditions (1):** Distribution partners must display all Terms and Conditions, as defined by the issuer and as received in the Offers API response, including any link to an issuer-hosted T\&C page, if returned. Terms and Conditions must be clear and conspicuous.

### Additional best practices {#additional-best-practices-1}

**Font size:** To ensure legibility, it is recommended to set the font size to at least 12 px.

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/issuer-disclosures.png)

## 'Powered by Mastercard' branding {#powered-by-mastercard-branding}

### Additional best practices {#additional-best-practices-2}

If using the 'Powered by Mastercard' branding, display the 'Powered by \[Mastercard logo\]' wherever shown in the 'During purchase' journeys within this Experience Design Guide. Displaying the logo helps build trust and a sense of security with the consumer. The logo must be displayed in close proximity to offer information on the Plan Selection page.

* **'Powered by' text (1):** To ensure legibility, set the font size of the text 'Powered by' to at least 14 px. Set the font color to HEX:282828 for light mode and HEX:FFFFFF for dark mode.
* **Mastercard logo (2):** Ensure that the 'Powered by' text and Mastercard logo are the same height and are aligned. Download the Mastercard logo from the [Brand centre](https://www.mastercard.com/brandcenter/en/home).

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/powered-by.png)
Note: The CX specifications are subject to change based on regulatory requirements and market conditions.

## Related resources {#related-resources}

### CX requirements checklist {#cx-requirements-checklist}

Review the requirements to create a best-in-class user experience.

[UX-Requirements-Checklist.pdf](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/UX-Requirements-Checklist.pdf) (100KB)

### CX certification {#cx-certification}

Understand Mastercard's CX certification process for distribution partners.

[UX-Certification-Process.pdf](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/UX-Certification-Process.pdf) (235KB)

### API field-mapping guide {#api-field-mapping-guide}

A guide on mapping Mastercard's CX and API fields.

[UX-API-field-mapping.pdf](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/unified-installments/uploads/UX-API-field-mapping.pdf) (66KB)

Next: [Moments that matter](https://developer.mastercard.com/unified-installments/documentation/experience-design-guide/installments-solutions-for-existing-cards/moments-that-matter/index.md)