MCC code lookup: find your merchant category code
Oct 15, 2025
7 min
Key takeaways:
- Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) are 4-digit numbers used by card networks to classify businesses by industry type for transactions.
- MCCs affect interchange fees, credit card rewards, tax reporting, and payment restrictions.
- They are assigned by acquiring banks or payment processors based on a merchant's primary business activity.
- Misclassification can lead to higher fees or missed rewards; changing an MCC can be complex and requires approval.
- Common use cases include cashback categorization, expense tracking, and compliance with tax reporting standards.
- Businesses can look up MCCs through card network documents, payment gateway dashboards, or by contacting their acquirer.
- To confirm your MCC, ask your acquiring bank or payment processor: they assign the code to your merchant account.
Introduction
Every time a customer pays with a credit or debit card, the transaction is tagged with a four-digit number known as a Merchant Category Code (MCC). These codes classify businesses based on the goods or services they offer and play a significant role in how card payments are processed.
For businesses, the assigned MCC is a foundational element that determines the cost of accepting card payments. For card networks and financial institutions, MCCs are essential for risk management and tracking spending. For consumers, MCCs directly influence the rewards and benefits they earn.
In this guide, we'll explain what MCCs are, detailing their use cases and showing how businesses can look them up to better manage their payment operations.
What Are Merchant Category Codes (MCCs)?
An MCC is a four-digit number assigned by major card networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. These codes are based on the ISO 18245 standard that functions as a universal tag for classifying a merchant's primary business activity.
Their purpose is to precisely identify the exact type of goods or services offered, which is then passed along with every card transaction.
For example, the code 5411 is used to designate Grocery Stores and Supermarkets, while 5812 is the specific MCC for Eating Places and Restaurants.
Also read: Paynet Malaysia: All you need to know about Malaysia's payment network
Why are MCCs important?
MCCs serve a crucial purpose by standardizing transaction data, which impacts compliance, risk, and profitability across the entire payment chain.
- For businesses: The MCC primarily affects interchange fees, which are the non-negotiable fees a merchant pays to accept a card. High-risk or specialized MCCs may have higher or lower fees, directly impacting a business’s processing costs and profit margins. It also helps determine tax reporting obligations.
- For banks & payment processors: MCCs help acquirers and issuers track spending patterns, manage risk, and identify high-risk merchants who may be prone to higher fraud or chargeback rates. Issuers also use MCCs to set spending controls or restrictions on corporate and personal cards.
- For consumers: The MCC is the trigger for rewards, cashback categories, and card benefits. If your card offers a bonus on "gas," the transaction must carry the corresponding gas station MCC to qualify.
- For regulators: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) uses Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) to regulate payment systems under the Payment Card Framework (PCF). MCCs help categorize merchants to control domestic interchange fees, assigning lower rates to sectors like government services, taxes, petrol stations, and charities. This promotes electronic payments, supports economic monitoring, and helps manage financial risks within the payments ecosystem.
Common use cases of MCCs
The standardized nature of Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) makes them invaluable across the financial ecosystem for categorizing merchant types.
Here are some of the most common uses:
- Cashback & rewards: MCCs determine whether a transaction qualifies for bonus points or cashback offers (e.g., ensuring a transaction carries the Restaurants MCC (5812) to get a dining reward).
- Business expense tracking: Companies use MCCs to automatically sort expenses in accounting software, which streamlines bookkeeping and financial reconciliation.
- Tax deduction & compliance: They help identify whether a payment is for services versus merchandise, assisting businesses in meeting specific tax reporting requirements (like filing a Form 1099).
- Payment restrictions: Card issuers implement spending controls using MCCs, allowing them to block high-risk transactions (e.g., gambling) or restrict a card's use to a specific category (e.g., travel expenses only).
How are MCCs assigned?
MCCs are not self-assigned by the merchant.
The code is assigned by the acquiring bank or payment processor (the institution that manages the merchant's account) when the merchant account is first opened.
This assignment is based on the merchant’s primary business activity as declared on their application. Once assigned, the unique 4-digit code is transmitted as part of the transaction data for every card payment accepted.
MCC codes and interchange fees
The relationship between your MCC and payment costs directly impacts your business's bottom line. The MCC is the key factor that determines the interchange fee: the transaction cost you pay to accept a card.
Card networks establish varying fee schedules based on the perceived risk of the business type. Merchants with MCCs associated with lower fraud or chargeback rates often qualify for lower interchange fees.
Conversely, high-risk or specialized MCCs incur higher rates. For instance, Charitable Organizations (MCC 8398) typically benefit from lower, preferential fees due to the low-risk nature of their transactions.
How to check your MCC code
You can confirm your business's MCC in three steps:
- Ask your acquiring bank or payment processor. They assigned the code to your merchant account and can confirm the exact MCC on file. This is the most reliable method.
- Check your payment gateway dashboard. Some platforms show the MCC in transaction reports or account settings.
- Cross-check the official card network lists. Visa and Mastercard publish the full MCC listings, such as the Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual.
MCC code lookup table for Malaysian businesses
The table below covers the codes most common among Malaysian businesses and organizations, grouped by industry. Use your browser's find function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to search it. Descriptions follow the Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual (April 2026 edition).
| Group | MCC | Official description | Malaysian examples |
| Retail & grocery | 5411 | Grocery Stores and Supermarkets | Supermarkets, mini markets, kedai runcit (Mydin, 99 Speedmart) |
| Retail & grocery | 5499 | Miscellaneous Food Stores: Convenience Stores and Specialty Markets | Convenience stores (7-Eleven, myNEWS), specialty food shops |
| Retail & grocery | 5651 | Family Clothing Stores | Family clothing stores, baju kurung and baju Melayu boutiques |
| Retail & grocery | 5661 | Shoe Stores | Shoe stores |
| Retail & grocery | 5732 | Electronics Stores | Electronics and gadget stores, phone shops |
| Retail & grocery | 5734 | Computer Software Stores | Software and IT licence sellers |
| Retail & grocery | 5712 | Furniture, Home Furnishings, and Equipment Stores, Except Appliances | Furniture and home furnishing stores |
| Retail & grocery | 5251 | Hardware Stores | Hardware stores |
| Retail & grocery | 5944 | Jewelry Stores, Watches, Clocks, and Silverware Stores | Jewellery and gold shops (Poh Kong, Habib) |
| Retail & grocery | 5941 | Sporting Goods Stores | Sporting goods stores |
| Retail & grocery | 5942 | Book Stores | Bookstores (Popular, MPH) |
| Retail & grocery | 5999 | Miscellaneous and Specialty Retail Shops | Specialty retail without a more specific code (gift shops, pet shops, florists) |
| Food & beverage | 5812 | Eating Places and Restaurants | Restaurants, kedai makan, mamak, cafes |
| Food & beverage | 5814 | Fast Food Restaurants | Fast food outlets |
| Food & beverage | 5462 | Bakeries | Bakeries and cake shops |
| Food & beverage | 5811 | Caterers | Caterers for events and kenduri |
| Services | 7230 | Beauty and Barber Shops | Beauty salons and barbershops |
| Services | 7211 | Laundries: Family and Commercial | Laundry and dry cleaning services |
| Services | 7699 | Miscellaneous Repair Shops and Related Services | General repair shops |
| Services | 7221 | Photographic Studios | Photography studios (weddings, portraits) |
| Services | 7338 | Quick Copy, Reproduction, and Blueprinting Services | Photocopy and quick-print shops |
| Professional services | 8111 | Legal Services and Attorneys | Law firms |
| Professional services | 8931 | Accounting, Auditing, and Bookkeeping Services | Accounting, audit, and bookkeeping firms |
| Professional services | 7392 | Management, Consulting, and Public Relations Services | Management and PR consultancies |
| Professional services | 7311 | Advertising Services | Advertising and digital marketing agencies |
| Education & childcare | 8211 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | Private primary and secondary schools |
| Education & childcare | 8299 | Schools and Educational Services (Not Elsewhere Classified) | Tuition centres, skills and training courses |
| Education & childcare | 8351 | Child Care Services | Taska, tadika, and childcare centres |
| Health | 5912 | Drug Stores and Pharmacies | Pharmacies (Guardian, Watsons, independents) |
| Health | 8011 | Doctors and Physicians (Not Elsewhere Classified) | Clinics and general practitioners |
| Health | 8021 | Dentists and Orthodontists | Dental clinics |
| Health | 8042 | Optometrists and Ophthalmologists | Optical shops and optometrists |
| Health | 8062 | Hospitals | Private hospitals |
| Travel & transport | 4722 | Travel Agencies and Tour Operators | Travel agencies and tour operators |
| Travel & transport | 7011 | Lodging: Hotels, Motels, Resorts (Not Elsewhere Classified) | Hotels, resorts, homestays |
| Travel & transport | 4121 | Taxicabs and Limousines | Taxis and e-hailing (Visa includes ride-share here) |
| Travel & transport | 4131 | Bus Lines | Express and intercity bus operators |
| Travel & transport | 7523 | Parking Lots, Parking Meters and Garages | Paid parking operators |
| Travel & transport | 5541 | Service Stations (With or without Ancillary Services) | Petrol stations (Petronas, Shell, Petron) |
| Digital & eCommerce | 4816 | Computer Network/Information Services | Internet and network service providers, SaaS platforms |
| Digital & eCommerce | 5817 | Digital Goods: Applications (Excludes Games) | Sellers of apps and digital software |
| Digital & eCommerce | 5964 | Direct Marketing: Catalog Merchant | Catalogue and mail-order sellers |
| Digital & eCommerce | 5968 | Direct Marketing: Continuity/Subscription Merchant | Subscription services with recurring billing |
| Charity & religious | 8398 | Charitable Social Service Organizations | Charities, NGOs, and welfare fundraising bodies |
| Charity & religious | 8661 | Religious Organizations | Mosques, suraus, churches, temples |
| Financial & insurance | 6300 | Insurance Sales, Underwriting, and Premiums | Insurance and takaful providers |
| Financial & insurance | 6012 | Financial Institutions: Merchandise, Services, and Debt Repayment | Non-bank financial institutions, cooperatives, financing |
For the complete listing, consult the Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual or Mastercard's Quick Reference Booklet.
Which MCC applies to charities and zakat organizations?
Card networks do not define a dedicated zakat code, so classification follows the organization's main activity. Fundraising bodies and welfare NGOs are typically classified under 8398 (Charitable Social Service Organizations). Institutions whose core function is worship or religious administration, such as mosques and suraus, fall under 8661 (Religious Organizations). A zakat collection body could sit under either depending on how its predominant activity is registered, so confirm the classification with your acquiring bank.
Challenges & considerations with MCCs
While MCCs are helpful, they’re not always perfect:
- Misclassification: Being assigned the wrong MCC can lead to higher fees or ineligibility for customer rewards. For example, a specialty caterer misclassified as a general retailer may miss out on dining perks.
- Changing MCC: Though you can request a change, it’s difficult. You must show that your business activity has significantly changed for the acquirer to approve it.
- Multiple services: Businesses with varied offerings (e.g., hotels with restaurants or spas) may be assigned just one MCC, which may not reflect all services, confusing rewards or reporting.
Where Billplz fits in
MCCs are a card-network mechanism, so they apply to the card payments your business accepts. With Billplz, card transactions are processed through partner acquirers, and the acquirer assigns and holds your MCC when your account is set up. To confirm the code on file, ask the acquirer directly (step 1 above).
What Billplz gives you is a single view of all your payments: FPX, Wallet, Card, and Instalments in one dashboard, with transaction records you can use for reconciliation, accounting, and reporting.
If you are setting up payments for your business, see how Billplz Collection handles payment tracking and reconciliation.
FAQ
How to find my Merchant Category Code (MCC)?
The most reliable way is to contact your payment processor or acquiring bank. They can confirm the code they have on file for your merchant account. You can also sometimes find it in your online payment gateway dashboard or detailed transaction reports.
Can I change my MCC?
It is possible, but requires a formal request to your acquiring bank or payment processor. The change is typically granted only if your primary business activity has substantially changed and you now qualify for a different, official code.
Why does my MCC affect my card fees?
MCCs help determine your interchange rate. Lower-risk businesses usually get lower rates, while high-risk MCCs come with higher fees.
Do MCCs impact customer cashback and rewards?
Yes. Card issuers use the MCC to automatically identify the transaction type and determine if it qualifies for bonus rewards (for example, bonus points on travel or cashback on groceries). An incorrect MCC can cause your customers to miss out on rewards.
Who controls MCC codes?
MCCs are based on ISO standards and are implemented by card networks and acquiring banks.
Can I use someone else's MCC?
No. MCCs are tied to your business type and merchant account. Misusing MCCs is against card network rules and may result in penalties.
Conclusion
The Merchant Category Code (MCC) is far more than a four-digit number, it is a critical piece of infrastructure that influences your processing costs, compliance requirements, and your customers' card benefits.
Understanding your MCC is vital for both financial health and reporting accuracy. As a merchant, you should check and confirm your assigned MCC with your provider to ensure it accurately reflects your business.