A merchant category code is a four-digit number that card networks attach to a business to describe what it sells, such as 5691 for clothing stores. The acquiring bank or payment provider assigns it, and it travels with every card payment.

Who decides my merchant category code?

Your acquirer or payment provider assigns it, based on what you sell. On Stripe, the code comes from the industry you choose, and Stripe can correct it after a review. Visa can also require an acquirer to correct a wrong code.

Can I have more than one MCC?

Yes, when you have separate lines of business. Visa says to use either the code for the line with the highest sales for everything, or a separate code for each line. A Stripe account has exactly one code, so separate codes mean separate accounts.

Does the MCC affect my fees?

It can. Stripe notes that merchant category codes are often used to calculate interchange fees, which is part of what card payments cost. Your own price depends on your provider's pricing plan.

What MCC should a supplement store use?

Visa lists vitamin stores and health food stores under 5499 Miscellaneous Food Stores. The pharmacy codes 5912 and 5122 are for sellers of prescription and proprietary drugs and are high-integrity risk for card-absent sales.

Payments library

Merchant category codes (MCC) for online stores

A merchant category code (MCC) is the four-digit number card networks use to say what a business sells, such as 5691 for clothing stores or 5499 for specialty food. Banks use it for risk checks, reporting and some 3D Secure rules. Visa says to pick the code that most accurately describes your main business. Below are the codes online stores use, grouped by what they sell, each with the code to pick instead and its risk rules.

What the code does

Every card payment carries the seller's merchant category code. Visa says it and its member banks use the code for activity tracking, reporting and risk management. Stripe adds that codes are often used to calculate interchange fees, authorise payments and prevent fraud, which is why the code should match the business.

Some rules hang directly off the code. Visa keeps a list of high-integrity risk codes, such as pharmacies, tobacco and gambling, where the acquirer must register the merchant with Visa before processing card-absent sales. In several Asia-Pacific markets, Visa's rules require 3D Secure for online sales under specific codes.

How to pick the right code

Visa's manual sets the rules. Pick the code that most accurately describes the business. If you have more than one line of business, use the code for the line with the highest sales, or a separate code for each line. Use a miscellaneous code, usually ending in 99, only when no specific code applies.

An online store is a merchant location in its own right. When one merchant runs several websites that each sell distinct goods, Visa says each website gets the code that fits what it sells.

Match the code to what most of your sales are, not to how you fulfil orders
Avoid catch-all codes such as 5999 when a specific code exists
Direct marketing codes, such as 5968 for continuity subscriptions, describe how you sell rather than what you sell
Supplements and vitamins are listed by Visa under 5499, not the pharmacy codes

How Stripe sets the code

Each Stripe account has exactly one code. Stripe sets it automatically from the industry the account gives, then from its website, and otherwise falls back to the platform's code or its default, 5734 Computer Software Stores. A platform can set the code itself for accounts it controls, and Stripe checks that the code fits the business.

If a Stripe review finds a code inaccurate, Stripe may change it, whoever set it, and the platform cannot change it back. Restricted codes, such as 5912 pharmacies or 7995 gambling, need Stripe's approval first.

How PlatformDTC sets it

Every PlatformDTC store gets its own Stripe payments account. During payments setup the owner picks an Industry from a searchable list of about 240 plain-language categories, and PlatformDTC sends that choice to Stripe as the account's merchant category code. The field starts on 5999, and the owner can change it later under Settings, Payments, Professional details.

The picker warns at the point of choice on codes that are often wrong: 5968 marks the account as higher-risk, 5691 is for clothing only, and the pharmacy codes 5912 and 5122 are not for supplements. PlatformDTC's automatic profile updates never touch the code.

Frequently asked questions

What is an MCC code?: A merchant category code is a four-digit number that card networks attach to a business to describe what it sells, such as 5691 for clothing stores. The acquiring bank or payment provider assigns it, and it travels with every card payment.
Who decides my merchant category code?: Your acquirer or payment provider assigns it, based on what you sell. On Stripe, the code comes from the industry you choose, and Stripe can correct it after a review. Visa can also require an acquirer to correct a wrong code.
Can I have more than one MCC?: Yes, when you have separate lines of business. Visa says to use either the code for the line with the highest sales for everything, or a separate code for each line. A Stripe account has exactly one code, so separate codes mean separate accounts.
Does the MCC affect my fees?: It can. Stripe notes that merchant category codes are often used to calculate interchange fees, which is part of what card payments cost. Your own price depends on your provider's pricing plan.
What MCC should a supplement store use?: Visa lists vitamin stores and health food stores under 5499 Miscellaneous Food Stores. The pharmacy codes 5912 and 5122 are for sellers of prescription and proprietary drugs and are high-integrity risk for card-absent sales.