Merchant category codes

MCC Code: What Your Merchant Category Code Is, and Why It Matters

Every business that accepts cards has a four-digit merchant category code. It was chosen when the account was opened, it rides along on every sale, and it quietly decides what that sale costs. Here is how to find yours, a list of the most common codes, and how to tell if yours is wrong.

Written by Robert Day, Founder and Managing Partner of weAudit.com, previously an executive at Fifth Third Processing Solutions, later Vantiv and Worldpay, now part of Global Payments, the world’s largest card processor. Published October 2026.

Figures in brief

4 digits: every merchant category code, defined by the ISO 18245 standard.
Assigned once: by your acquirer, usually from the application, and rarely checked again.
Over 90 percent of the merchants weAudit audits are not set up correctly, and the code is one of the common reasons.
Zero: the number of line items on your statement that will tell you the code is wrong.

What is an MCC code?

A merchant category code, or MCC, is a four-digit number that tells the card networks what kind of business you are. Restaurants are 5812, grocery stores 5411, doctors 8011. The codes are defined by the ISO 18245 standard and published by Visa and Mastercard, which mostly agree but do not always use the same names.

Your code is assigned by your acquiring bank, through your processor, when your merchant account is opened. In practice it is usually chosen from whatever was written on the application, often by the salesperson. After that it travels with every transaction you run.

How to look up your MCC

Check your merchant statement. Many statements print the code near your merchant number or account details.
Check your processor’s portal. Account or business profile pages often show it.
Ask in writing. Your processor can tell you the code on file for each location and merchant ID.
Compare it with what you sell. Use the list below, and ask whether a more specific code fits.

Merchant category code list: the most common codes

There are hundreds of codes. These are the ones we see most often. Codes with their own guide are linked.

MCC	Description
4111	Local commuter transport
4121	Taxicabs and limousines
4511	Airlines
4722	Travel agencies and tour operators
4814	Telecommunication services
4829	Wire transfers and money orders
4899	Cable, satellite and pay television
4900	Utilities
5045	Computers, peripherals and software
5047	Medical, dental and hospital equipment and supplies
5085	Industrial supplies, not elsewhere classified
5300	Wholesale clubs
5310	Discount stores
5311	Department stores
5399	Miscellaneous general merchandise
5411	Grocery stores and supermarkets
5499	Miscellaneous food stores
5541	Service stations
5542	Automated fuel dispensers
5691	Men’s and women’s clothing stores
5734	Computer software stores
5812	Eating places and restaurants
5813	Drinking places
5814	Fast food restaurants
5815	Digital goods: media
5816	Digital goods: games
5817	Digital goods: applications
5818	Digital goods: large or multi-category
5912	Drug stores and pharmacies
5968	Direct marketing: continuity and subscription
5999	Miscellaneous and specialty retail
7011	Hotels, motels and resorts
7372	Computer programming and data processing
7392	Management, consulting and public relations
7399	Business services, not elsewhere classified
8011	Doctors
8021	Dentists and orthodontists
8099	Medical services, not elsewhere classified
8299	Schools and educational services
8999	Professional services, not elsewhere classified
9399	Government services

Why your MCC changes what you pay

Interchange, the largest part of what you pay to accept cards, is set by card type and by merchant type. The card networks run industry programs for restaurants, supermarkets, utilities and others, and your code decides which of them your sales can qualify for. A business in the wrong code can pay a higher rate on every sale, for years, without a single line on the statement pointing to it.

The code matters to your customers too. Card issuers use it to decide rewards categories, business card spending controls and whether a purchase is treated as a cash advance.

A wrong code is one of the setup errors behind a high bill that nobody can explain. It is also one of the easiest to fix once someone looks. That is why the rate you were quoted matters less than how your account is set up.

Signs your MCC may be wrong

The code describes a different kind of business than yours
You are in a catch-all code, such as 7399 or 5999, and a specific code exists
Customers say purchases did not earn the rewards they expected
Your effective rate is high for your card mix and nobody can explain why

Common questions

What is an MCC code?

A merchant category code is a four-digit number that classifies what a business sells. The codes are defined by the ISO 18245 standard and used by Visa, Mastercard and the other networks on every card transaction.

Who assigns my MCC?

Your acquiring bank, through your processor, when your merchant account is opened. It is usually based on what was written on your application.

How do I find my business’s MCC?

Check your merchant statement or processor portal, where the code is often shown with your account details. If it is not there, ask your processor in writing.

Can I change my MCC?

Yes, if it is wrong. Ask your processor to review it and describe what your business actually sells. The networks and acquirer make the final decision.

Does my MCC affect my processing fees?

Yes. Interchange programs are set by merchant type as well as card type, so the code decides which programs your sales can qualify for. A wrong code can raise your cost on every sale without appearing as a fee.

Why does the MCC matter to cardholders?

Card issuers use it to decide rewards categories, spending limits on business cards, and whether a purchase is treated as cash. That is why a grocery purchase at a warehouse club may not earn grocery points.

Send us a statement. We will check your code, and everything else.

Our first audit is free and takes about five minutes of your time. We check whether your account is coded and set up correctly, along with every fee on the statement, and if there is nothing to find, you will know that too.

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About this page: merchant category codes are defined by the ISO 18245 standard and published by the card networks, which occasionally add, retire or rename codes and do not always use identical names. Code names here follow Visa and Mastercard published lists, checked October 2026. Whether a code is right for a particular business depends on what it actually sells; your processor and the card networks make the final assignment.