What is a credit card Merchant Code?

While the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets the MCC codes and meanings, credit card issuers nowadays assign the codes to merchants. These credit card merchant codes are then used by acquiring banks and payment service providers to set fees, assess risk, and more.

What are Merchant Category Codes (MCC)?

MCCs, or Merchant Category Codes, serve as standardized identifiers within the payment processing sector, primarily used by merchants, banks, and credit card companies.

Are merchant category codes Universal?

A frustrating aspect of MCCs is that there is not one universally accepted set of merchant category codes used by all entities and organisations. That said, the category code ranges are consistent. Here’s a rundown of the code ranges for different industries: See the Stripe Issuing full list of merchant category codes.