Direct marketing and subscriptions · Merchant category codes
What is MCC 5968 (Direct Marketing – Continuity/Subscription)?
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MCC 5968 (Direct Marketing – Continuity/Subscription Merchant) is the merchant category code for merchants that sell subscription products for delivery, such as book clubs, magazines, cosmetics, food, clothing and nutraceuticals, through direct mail, email, apps or salespeople. Visa says merchants not doing direct marketing that happen to offer recurring purchases should use their product code instead, and direct sellers of digital subscriptions may use 5815 to 5818. Visa treats it as high-integrity risk only for card-absent subscription negative option merchants.
- Visa name
- Direct Marketing – Continuity/Subscription Merchant
- Stripe name
- Direct Marketing - Subscription
- Restricted by Stripe
- No
- Visa high-integrity risk
- Only for card-absent subscription negative option merchants
- Visa 3D Secure rule for online sales
- Required for merchants located in the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand
- In PlatformDTC's Industry picker
- Yes, under "Retail"
- Typical products
- Product subscriptions sold by direct marketing, Book and collectible clubs, Direct-mail magazine subscriptions
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC's payments setup lists 5968 in its Industry picker as "Subscription / continuity billing (recurring shipments)" under "Retail"; typing 5968 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. Picking it shows a warning that it marks the account as higher-risk, with closer underwriting and extra disclosure, cancellation and trial rules for free-trial offers.
What sells under MCC 5968
Visa uses 5968 for merchants that sell subscription products for delivery, such as book clubs, magazines, cosmetics, food, clothing and nutraceuticals, through direct mail, email, apps or salespeople.
Visa says merchants not doing direct marketing that happen to offer recurring purchases should use their product code instead, and direct sellers of digital subscriptions may use 5815 to 5818.
- Product subscriptions sold by direct marketing
- Book and collectible clubs
- Direct-mail magazine subscriptions
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 5815 | Digital Goods Media – Books, Movies, Digital Artwork/Images, Music | You sell a digital media subscription directly |
| 4899 | Cable, Satellite and Other Pay Television/Radio/Streaming Services | You deliver streaming content by subscription |
| 5969 | Direct Marketing – Other Direct Marketers (Not Elsewhere Classified) | You direct-market without subscriptions |
Risk, 3D Secure and Stripe rules
Visa's high-integrity risk list names 5968 only for card-absent subscription negative option merchants, whose offers keep billing until the customer cancels. Sales outside that description are not on the list.
Stripe's list of supported codes does not mark it restricted, so a Stripe account can use it without asking Stripe first.
Visa's rules require acquirers to process online sales under 5968 with Visa Secure (3D Secure) for merchants located in the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Elsewhere, 3D Secure for this code follows the general rules of the merchant's country and the issuer's request.
Visa's high-integrity risk list names 5968 for card-absent subscription negative option merchants, meaning offers that keep billing until the customer cancels. Visa also requires 3D Secure on online 5968 sales for merchants located in the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
- Is MCC 5968 high risk?
- Only in part. Visa lists 5968 as high-integrity risk for card-absent subscription negative option merchants, whose offers keep billing until the customer cancels, not for every sale under it. Stripe does not mark it restricted. Visa does require 3D Secure on online 5968 sales for merchants located in the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
- Can a PlatformDTC store use MCC 5968?
- Yes. It is in the Industry picker of PlatformDTC's payments setup under "Retail", and typing 5968 in the search finds it. PlatformDTC sends the choice to Stripe for the store's own payments account.