Free tool
MCC code lookup
Every card transaction carries a 4-digit merchant category code that tells the network what kind of business charged you. Search the common codes below — including the ones that quietly affect fees, rewards and chargebacks.
179 of 179 common codes shown
- 0742Veterinary services
- 0763Agricultural cooperatives
- 1520General contractors — residential & commercial
- 1711Heating, plumbing & air-conditioning contractors
- 1731Electrical contractors
- 1799Special trade contractors (not elsewhere classified)
- 2741Publishing & printing
- 3000Airlines (3000–3299 are individual carriers)Each major airline has its own code in this range.
- 3351Car rental agencies (3351–3441 are individual brands)
- 3501Hotels & lodging (3501–3999 are individual chains)
- 4111Local commuter transport — rail, bus, ferry
- 4112Passenger railways
- 4121Taxis, limousines & ride-hailingUber and Lyft rides typically post under 4121.
- 4131Bus lines
- 4214Motor freight carriers, trucking & moving
- 4411Cruise lines
- 4511Airlines & air carriers (not listed individually)
- 4582Airports, flying fields & terminals
- 4722Travel agencies & tour operators
- 4784Tolls & bridge fees
- 4789Transportation services (not elsewhere classified)
- 4812Telecom equipment & phone sales
- 4814Telecom services — calls, mobile plansYour phone bill.
- 4816Computer network / information servicesWeb hosting, VPNs and many online services.
- 4829Money transferWire and P2P transfer services — often flagged as cash-like by card issuers.
- 4899Cable, satellite & streaming TVMany streaming subscriptions post here.
- 4900Utilities — electric, gas, water, sanitation
- 5045Computers, peripherals & software
- 5122Drugs & pharmaceuticals
- 5192Books, periodicals & newspapers
- 5200Home supply warehouse stores
- 5211Lumber & building materials
- 5261Nurseries & garden supply
- 5300Wholesale clubsCostco, Sam's Club.
- 5309Duty-free stores
- 5310Discount stores
- 5311Department stores
- 5331Variety stores
- 5411Grocery stores & supermarkets
- 5422Meat & seafood markets
- 5441Candy, nut & confectionery stores
- 5451Dairy product stores
- 5462Bakeries
- 5499Misc. food stores — convenience & specialtyCorner shops and vending often post here.
- 5511Car & truck dealers — new & used
- 5532Automotive tire stores
- 5541Service stations (fuel)Pay-inside fuel purchases.
- 5542Automated fuel dispensersPay-at-pump.
- 5551Boat dealers
- 5599Misc. auto, aircraft & farm equipment dealers
- 5611Men's clothing & accessories
- 5621Women's ready-to-wear
- 5641Children's & infants' wear
- 5651Family clothing stores
- 5661Shoe stores
- 5691Men's & women's clothing stores
- 5699Misc. apparel & accessories
- 5712Furniture & home furnishings
- 5722Household appliance stores
- 5732Electronics stores
- 5733Music stores — instruments & sheet music
- 5734Computer software storesApp stores and many game purchases.
- 5735Record stores
- 5811Caterers
- 5812Restaurants & eating places
- 5813Bars, taverns & nightclubs
- 5814Fast food restaurants
- 5815Digital goods — media, books, movies, musicStreaming and download purchases.
- 5816Digital goods — games
- 5817Digital goods — applications (excludes games)
- 5818Digital goods — large digital merchantApple, Google and similar aggregated storefronts.
- 5912Drug stores & pharmacies
- 5921Package stores — beer, wine, liquor
- 5941Sporting goods stores
- 5942Book stores
- 5943Stationery & office supply stores
- 5944Jewelry, watches & silverware
- 5945Hobby, toy & game shops
- 5946Camera & photographic supply
- 5947Gift, card & novelty shops
- 5948Luggage & leather goods
- 5949Fabric & sewing stores
- 5960Direct marketing — insurance services
- 5962Direct marketing — travel-relatedHigher fraud rates — issuers watch this code.
- 5963Door-to-door sales
- 5964Direct marketing — catalog merchants
- 5965Direct marketing — combination catalog & retail
- 5966Direct marketing — outbound telemarketingHigher fraud rates — issuers watch this code.
- 5967Direct marketing — inbound teleservicesCommon for subscription traps; watch trial terms.
- 5968Direct marketing — continuity & subscription merchantsThe classic subscription-billing code.
- 5969Direct marketing — other
- 5970Artist supply & craft shops
- 5972Stamp & coin stores
- 5977Cosmetic stores
- 5983Fuel dealers — oil, propane, coal
- 5992Florists
- 5993Cigar stores & stands
- 5994News dealers & newsstands
- 5995Pet shops, pet food & supplies
- 5999Misc. retail (not elsewhere classified)
- 6010Financial institution — manual cash disbursement
- 6011Financial institution — ATM cashATM withdrawals.
- 6012Financial institution — merchandise & servicesBank fees and financial products.
- 6051Quasi-cash — money orders, crypto, foreign currencyCrypto exchange purchases usually post here; many issuers charge cash-advance fees.
- 6211Securities — brokers & dealers
- 6300Insurance sales & premiums
- 6513Real estate agents & rentals — rent payments
- 6540Funding transactions — stored value / wallet top-ups
- 7011Hotels, motels & resorts
- 7032Sporting & recreational camps
- 7211Laundries — family & commercial
- 7216Dry cleaners
- 7230Beauty & barber shops
- 7251Shoe repair & shine
- 7273Dating services
- 7276Tax preparation services
- 7278Buying & shopping clubsMembership clubs — another subscription-heavy code.
- 7297Massage parlors
- 7298Health & beauty spas
- 7299Misc. personal services
- 7311Advertising servicesFacebook/Google Ads charges post here.
- 7333Commercial photography, art & graphics
- 7349Cleaning & maintenance services
- 7372Computer programming & data processingSaaS products commonly post here.
- 7392Consulting & public relations
- 7399Business services (not elsewhere classified)
- 7512Car rental agencies
- 7523Parking lots & garages
- 7538Auto service shops
- 7542Car washes
- 7549Towing services
- 7622Electronics repair
- 7699Misc. repair shops
- 7801Online gamblingBlocked by many issuers; region-dependent.
- 7832Motion picture theaters
- 7841Video rental stores
- 7911Dance halls, studios & schools
- 7922Theatrical producers & ticket agenciesEvent tickets often bill under the venue or agency.
- 7932Billiard & pool establishments
- 7941Sports clubs, fields & promoters
- 7991Tourist attractions & exhibits
- 7992Public golf courses
- 7994Video game arcades
- 7995Betting — lottery, casino chips, off-trackOften triggers cash-advance treatment.
- 7996Amusement parks & carnivals
- 7997Membership clubs — sports, recreation, golfGym memberships commonly post here.
- 7998Aquariums & zoos
- 7999Recreation services (not elsewhere classified)
- 8011Doctors & physicians
- 8021Dentists & orthodontists
- 8031Osteopaths
- 8041Chiropractors
- 8042Optometrists & ophthalmologists
- 8049Podiatrists
- 8050Nursing & personal care facilities
- 8062Hospitals
- 8071Medical & dental laboratories
- 8099Medical services (not elsewhere classified)
- 8111Legal services & attorneys
- 8211Elementary & secondary schools
- 8220Colleges & universitiesTuition payments.
- 8241Correspondence schools
- 8244Business & secretarial schools
- 8249Trade & vocational schools
- 8299Educational services (not elsewhere classified)Online courses commonly post here.
- 8351Child care services
- 8398Charitable & social service organizationsDonations.
- 8641Civic, social & fraternal associations
- 8651Political organizationsPolitical donations.
- 8661Religious organizations
- 8699Membership organizations (not elsewhere classified)
- 8911Architectural & engineering services
- 8931Accounting & bookkeeping services
- 8999Professional services (not elsewhere classified)
- 9211Court costs — alimony & child support
- 9222Fines
- 9311Tax payments
- 9399Government services (not elsewhere classified)
- 9402Postal services — government only
Why MCCs matter to you
- Rewards — cashback categories are defined by MCC, so a restaurant inside a hotel may earn hotel rewards, not dining.
- Fees — codes like 6051 (quasi-cash, incl. crypto) and 7995 (betting) can be treated as cash advances with immediate interest.
- Subscriptions — 5968 and 7278 are the classic recurring-billing codes; a charge under them is probably a subscription even if the name looks unfamiliar.
- Disputes — the MCC helps your bank classify a chargeback correctly; note it if you can see it.
What MCC codes are and who sets them
A Merchant Category Code is a four-digit code assigned to a business by its acquiring bank when it starts taking cards, drawn from a standard list maintained by the card networks (ISO 18245). The MCC describes the merchant's primary line of business: 5812 is restaurants, 5411 grocery stores, 4121 taxis and rideshares, 5968 direct-marketing subscription merchants.
MCCs matter more than most people realise: they decide which purchases earn category card rewards (your 'dining' multiplier is really an MCC-5812 multiplier), how expenses are auto-categorised in accounting software, whether a transaction is treated as a cash-equivalent (with fees and no grace period), and which purchases corporate cards block or flag.
Common MCC surprises
The merchant chooses its acquirer, and the acquirer assigns the code — so categories don't always match intuition. A restaurant inside a hotel may code as the hotel (7011), killing the dining reward. Some grocery-store purchases at superstores code as 5310/5411 depending on the till. Gift-card purchases sometimes code as 5968 or quasi-cash. If a reward didn't post, the MCC is the first thing to check — and this lookup tells you what a code means in plain language.
How to find the MCC behind a specific charge
Your statement almost never prints the MCC, which frustrates people trying to work out why a purchase earned the wrong rewards. You can usually get it three ways: check your card's online transaction detail (some issuers show the category), ask the issuer directly by phone or chat and quote the charge, or infer it from the merchant's primary business using the list here. Rewards disputes — 'this should have counted as dining' — are won by pinning down the MCC the merchant actually transacts under.
The common surprise is that the MCC follows the business, not the location. A café inside a bookshop can code as a bookstore; a restaurant inside a hotel can code as lodging; a supermarket fuel station can code as a grocer or as fuel depending on how it's set up. That's why a purchase that felt like dining lands in a category you didn't expect.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the MCC for a charge on my statement?
Statements rarely print the MCC. Card apps sometimes show a category derived from it; otherwise your issuer can tell you the MCC for a specific transaction. Search this lookup by merchant type to see the likely code.
Why didn't my card's category bonus apply?
Rewards are keyed to MCCs, not to what the shop looks like. If the merchant's acquirer coded it outside the bonus category (hotel restaurant → 7011, superstore grocery → 5310), the bonus won't trigger, and the issuer follows the code.
Can a merchant have multiple MCCs?
Large merchants often register different codes per line of business or per terminal (a supermarket's fuel pumps code as 5541/5542). Small merchants typically carry a single code.
Are MCCs the same across Visa, Mastercard and Amex?
They largely follow the same ISO list, with network-specific additions. The common retail codes are identical across networks.
Can I see the MCC on my own bank statement?
Rarely — most statements omit it. Some issuers show a category in the online transaction detail; otherwise, ask the issuer and quote the charge, or infer it from the merchant's main line of business.
Why did my purchase earn the wrong rewards category?
Because rewards follow the merchant's MCC, and the MCC follows the business rather than what you bought. A coffee bought inside a hotel or bookshop can code as lodging or retail, so it earns that category instead of dining.
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