Merchant category codes
MCC codes for high-risk categories
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Visa names a set of high-integrity risk codes. For card-absent sales under them, the acquirer must register the merchant with Visa before processing. This group covers the ones most often hit by online stores: pharmacies, drug wholesale, tobacco and e-cigarettes, adult content, dating and gambling. Stripe marks each of them restricted, so it must approve them first.
| MCC | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5912 | Pharmacies selling prescription and proprietary drugs. |
| 5122 | Wholesale distributors of prescription and proprietary drugs. |
| 5993 | Tobacco, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smoking supplies. |
| 5967 | Adult content and services accessed by phone, fax or internet. |
| 7273 | Dating services, including online dating. |
| 7995 | Gambling: lottery tickets, casino chips, wagers and games of chance for money. |
What Visa's high-integrity risk label means
Before submitting transactions for a high-integrity risk merchant, Visa's rules require the acquirer to be approved by Visa for that business, meet financial and capital requirements, and register each such merchant. For 5122 and 5912 the registration does not apply when the merchant is accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy or another regulator Visa recognises.
Visa's card-absent list is 5122, 5912, 5966, 5967, 5993, 7273 and 7995, plus 4816, 5816, 5968, 6211, 6012 and 6051 for certain transaction types.
Frequently asked questions
- Which MCCs are high risk?
- Visa's high-integrity risk list for card-absent sales covers 5122, 5912, 5966, 5967, 5993, 7273 and 7995, plus 4816, 5816, 5968, 6211, 6012 and 6051 for certain transaction types. Acquirers must register these merchants with Visa.
- Can I use a normal retail code to avoid the high-risk label?
- No. Visa requires the code that most accurately describes the business and can make an acquirer correct a wrong one. A merchant with a high-integrity risk line must give that line the high-integrity risk code.