A merchant category code (MCC) is a four-digit number assigned to a business by the credit card companies Visa and Mastercard to identify the type of business. This code is used to help determine the interchange rate that will be charged for a particular transaction. The higher the MCC, the more expensive the transaction will be.
What are the most popular merchant category codes?The top ten MCCs are:
- Airlines - 4810 for large for profit carriers, 4829 for small-to-medium, not-for-profit carriers and 4899 if fees are charged directly to customers by airlines or travel agents. These can also be found under airlines and air travel.
- Hotels - 4860, 4861 and 4862 for hotels , moteles and motels . This category also includes resorts, timeshares and marinas . You can find these MCCs under the Hospitality industry to see exact listings of hotel types.
- Restaurants - 5812 for full-service restaurants, 7222 for limited-service restaurants and 5813 for fast food. These can also be found under the Food and beverage industry .
- Retail - 5411 for general merchandise stores, 5412 for clothing and clothing accessories stores, 5441 for electronic shopping and mail-order houses, 5511 for automotive dealers and 55112 for automotive parts and accessories stores. You can find these MCCs under the Retail industry .
- Banking and financial - 6211 for depository institutions, 6221 for credit unions, 6223 for mortgage bankers and lenders, 6231 for consumer finance companies and 6232 for securities brokers and dealers. These codes can also be found under the Financial services industry .
- Utilities - 4911 for electric utilities, 4931 for gas utilities and 4939 for water utilities. These codes can also be found under the Utilities industry .
- Healthcare - 6041 for general hospitals, 6042 for psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, 6043 for specialty hospitals (physical therapy, etc.), 6044 for nursing care facilities and 7011 for medical laboratories. These codes can also be found under the Healthcare industry .
- Transportation - 4841 for air transportation , 4842 for railroads and other land transportation, 4843 for water transportation and 48532 for couriers and messengers. These can also be found under the Transportation industry .
- Entertainment and recreation - 7011 for amusement parks and arcades, 7012 for golf courses and country clubs, 7013 for spectator sports, 7014 for theatrical production companies and 7015 for recreational vehicle dealers. These codes can also be found under the Leisure and entertainment industry .
- Telecommunications - 4112 for telephone companies, 4152 for cellular phone carriers and 40991 to 40999 for satellite communication. These codes can also be found under the Telecommunications industry .
In order to find a business' MCC code, you need to contact the merchant directly or look on their website. Some businesses will include it as part of their contact information, but it is not always readily available.
You can find the MCC number on your credit card statement under the charge description (Visa or MasterCard) or through your online account if you have one.
If you are unable to find an MCC, consider contacting the merchant directly in order to ensure you are using the correct code.
There are some sites that offer MCC lookup services, but you need to be wary of these as they may charge a fee for this service or sell your information to other businesses. In order to ensure you do not end up paying more on your credit card statement, you should contact the merchant directly in order to get their correct MCC number.
Now that you know how to find a business' MCC code, it is important to be aware of which category your purchase falls into. This will help you to better understand what type of purchase you are making and ensure that you receive the proper credit for it.
