Books, gifts and stationery · Merchant category codes
What is MCC 5942 (Book Stores)?
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MCC 5942 (Book Stores) is the merchant category code for stores that sell new or used books, journals, magazines, textbooks, maps and atlases, audiobooks and calendars. A publisher or bookshop selling printed books fits here. Ebooks fit 5815. It is not on Visa's high-integrity risk list, and Stripe does not restrict it.
- Visa name
- Book Stores
- Stripe name
- Book Stores
- Restricted by Stripe
- No
- Visa high-integrity risk
- No
- Visa 3D Secure rule for online sales
- No rule tied to this code
- In PlatformDTC's Industry picker
- Yes, under "Retail"
- Typical products
- Paperbacks, Textbooks, Audiobooks, Calendars
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC's payments setup lists 5942 in its Industry picker as "Book stores" under "Retail"; typing 5942 in the search box finds it. The choice is sent to Stripe as the category code of the store's own payments account and can be changed later under Settings, Payments, Professional details, subject to Stripe's check.
What sells under MCC 5942
Visa uses 5942 for stores that sell new or used books, journals, magazines, textbooks, maps and atlases, audiobooks and calendars.
A publisher or bookshop selling printed books fits here. Ebooks fit 5815.
- Paperbacks
- Textbooks
- Audiobooks
- Calendars
Codes it is confused with
Choose the code for the line of business that makes up most of your sales. Visa also allows a separate code for each line of business.
| Code | Name | Use it instead when |
|---|---|---|
| 5943 | Stationery Stores, Office and School Supply Stores | Most sales are stationery |
| 5815 | Digital Goods Media – Books, Movies, Digital Artwork/Images, Music | You sell ebooks |
| 5994 | News Dealers and Newsstands | You sell mainly newspapers and magazines |
Risk, 3D Secure and Stripe rules
5942 is not on Visa's high-integrity risk list, so no extra Visa registration is tied to the code itself.
Stripe's list of supported codes does not mark it restricted, so a Stripe account can use it without asking Stripe first.
Frequently asked questions
- Is MCC 5942 high risk?
- No. 5942 is not on Visa's high-integrity risk list. Stripe does not mark it restricted.
- Can a PlatformDTC store use MCC 5942?
- Yes. It is in the Industry picker of PlatformDTC's payments setup under "Retail", and typing 5942 in the search finds it. PlatformDTC sends the choice to Stripe for the store's own payments account.