If you have a bank card, you are likely to receive cashback on certain categories of purchases. But it also happens: you pay with a card in a category with cashback - but the cashback did not come. This means that the store has an inappropriate MCC code, which your bank will use to find out the details of the transaction. We will tell you what you need to know about MCC in order not to lose cashback on your bank card.
What is MCC code
In MCC code ( Merchant Category Code, seller category code) encrypts the type of activity of the company and the type of transaction (purchase, transfer or withdrawal of money). This code affects transaction fees, grace periods on credit cards, and cashback.
The MCC code is not unique for each seller. Different retail outlets are assigned the same MCC depending on what they sell: women's clothing stores - 5621, shoe stores - 5661, restaurants - 5812 (fast food, by the way, has a different MCC - 5814), and so on.
The code is issued to the seller by his acquiring bank. If the seller has several areas of activity, for example, he sells women's clothing, as well as accessories and shoes, then the acquirer will choose MCC based on the main type of activity - a women's clothing store.
Sometimes stores connect acquiring services from several banks at once. In this case, different terminals in the store may have different MCCs.
There are MSS of a general type - for example, under the code 8999 (“professional services”) there may be both a personnel recruitment agency and a garbage removal service.
How does the MCC code affect cashback?
Cashback on the card is awarded for certain categories of payments - according to the corresponding MCC. They are listed in the rules for paying cashback on your card. When you pay by card, the bank checks MCC transactions and credits (or does not credit) cashback.
What to do if a store has an incorrect MCC code
It happens that you bought one thing, but MCC from the operation is about something completely different. For example, the store began selling other products with the old code. Or he sells different products and uses a different code: you bought sneakers and expected cashback in the “Clothing and Shoes” category, but the transaction went through “Home Goods”.
You cannot correct the transaction code after payment; you will not receive cashback for such a purchase. The only way out is to inform the seller about the error, return the item, return the money and buy it elsewhere. If you are counting on cashback, check the MCC immediately after purchase. And even better - before payment.
How to find out the MCC code
If you have already paid in some store, it is easy to find out its MCC - call your bank or look at the code in the transaction details. For example, on the Yandex.Money website you need to go to and click on payment.
If you didn’t buy anything in the store, you can find out the MCC code like this:
- ask friends who bought;
- look in the MCC code directory;
MCC code directories are open sources, codes are added to them by users themselves. Not “100% info”, but in most cases it coincides. You can check in several reference books at once, for example, mcc-codes.ru and mcc-code.ru.
- prohibit purchases with the card, try to pay and look at the code in the details of the rejected transaction. The method is suitable if the bank allows you to manage card transactions and stores details about unsuccessful attempts to pay.
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MCC code - Merchant Category Code- trade category code; it is assigned by the bank servicing (collecting) the retail outlet. This code is a four-digit number, and it corresponds to a category in the international classifier, and the categories are quite deeply detailed.
For example:
5598 - Sale of snowmobiles
5950 - Crystal and glassware stores
7339 - Shorthand and secretarial services
In fact, the working range of categories is not so wide; about 600 categories are used from the list (which, however, is also a lot).
Why do you need to know MCC codes?
Actually, the interest in MCC codes is based on the fact that some banks award increased cashback (they return part of the purchase price in cash or bonuses) in certain categories (since it is too expensive to award cashback at a high rate for all purchases). These categories are a group of MCC codes united by a common name. For example:
Tinkoff Black
Touch Bank
It’s interesting because each quarter provides six categories for increased cashback (instead of a category there can be a specific store), from which you can choose any three. Cashback for these categories is 5%.
Allows you to choose your favorite category yourself once a month and gives you a 3% cashback on it (with the exception of the “Supermarkets” category - for it the maximum is 2%). These are just two examples. If you regularly spend large amounts in stores in a particular category (or want to spend a large amount at a time), you can choose a debit or credit card with cashback and return a certain percentage of your purchases in cash or other bonuses.
Be careful: although in general the classification of a store into a specific group follows a certain logic, in some cases the results can be unpredictable. In particular, I noticed that cafes may fall into the "Fast Food" category rather than "Cafes and Restaurants"; on the other hand, the tea shop “Coffee Cantata”, on the contrary, ended up in “Cafes and Restaurants”.
How to find out the MCC code of the desired store?
1. The most accurate option is to buy something there, and then look at the online bank statement (some banks display MCC codes or at least categories). Cunning users recommend that even before a large purchase, make a test: buy something for a small amount or even cancel the operation.
2.As a guide, I advise you to use the service http://mcc-code.ru- there are a large number of stores posted there, you can use them to find the most popular stores. Having received useful information, do not pass by - support the project by adding to its database of stores indicating codes.
This post is not intended for a general audience; however, I hope you enjoyed it.
August 28, 2018 5887Banks often offer their clients all kinds of loyalty programs and cashback cards. For which an increased percentage is usually returned for payments for certain categories of goods and services, for example, for paying for groceries or gas stations.
How do banks understand which transactions require cashback and which do not?
What is an MCC code and why is it needed?
The MCC code is a four-digit code that indicates the category of purchase. In simple terms, this code allows you to distinguish payment in a hypermarket for a kilogram of tomatoes from a money transfer.
The MCC code is automatically assigned by the acquiring bank through which payments are accepted at points of sale of goods and services. The code depends on the type of trading activity: pharmacies have one, gas stations have another, pet stores have a third.
If an organization is engaged in several areas of business, for example, when an electronics store (5732 - sale of electrical equipment) repairs computers (7379 - computer repair), then the code is assigned according to the main area of activity. And this should be remembered!
What are MCC codes used for?
Why should we, ordinary bank clients, be interested in MCC codes? Many of us use cashback cards. Let us remind you that cashback is the return of a certain percentage of the amount of your purchase. At the same time, some banks award increased cashback for certain categories of purchases.
Most often, cashback is accrued for any payments (as a rule, with the exception of utilities), and ranges from 1 to 1.5%
But increased cashback for certain categories can reach 3%! And it is accrued due to the fact that any transaction, be it paying for utilities, transferring funds from card to card, car repair, buying clothes or paying for cinema tickets - each payment is assigned a specific code.
As a result, MCC codes are the basis for crediting cashback by banks. Typically, banks publish these codes in the description under cashback cards, but most often they only name groups of products for which increased cashback is awarded, without going into details with the codes.
What could go wrong?
When you pay for something using a card, the MCC code for the purchase is stored in the banking information system. It is based on this that the bank will determine which payments to accrue cashback and which not.
And here it is important to remember that the MCC code is assigned according to the main area of activity. If you have an increased cashback when purchasing food products, and you decide to buy them at the nearest gas station, then it may turn out that its MCC code corresponds to the code of the gas station.
It is rare, but it also happens that the acquiring bank accidentally assigned the wrong code to the point of sale. For example, instead of “5655 - sportswear” there is “5651 - family clothing”. Then, if cashback is awarded for the “Sports” purchase category, then you will not see a refund.
In addition, you can get into a situation where one store uses the services of several acquirers at once (namely, they assign an MCC code to terminals); in this case, transactions at different cash desks can take place using different MCC codes!
How to find out the MCC code before and after purchase?
If you have already paid for the goods, then you will not find the MCC code in the purchase receipt! To find out, you need to call the bank where you are served.
“How can I track which MCC code was used for the operation?” — We asked several banks. And we received these answers...
By the way, if you need to know the MCC code before paying for a purchase, then such information can be clarified before paying at the point of sale. Although, the cashier is not required to know it!
Little lifehack! If, for example, you want to make a purchase for a large amount, and the retail outlet does not know your MCC code, you can use a little trick - carry out a “zero balance transaction.” But this will take some time.
- “Empty” the card
- Try making a small purchase at a retail outlet
In this case, payment will be refused, but information about the store will be displayed in your bank’s information system. If this method is too complicated, you can simply buy a box of matches or the cheapest fish hook from a retail outlet.
You just need to call the bank and find out whether cashback will be credited using the MCC code for this purchase.
If yes, then you can safely make your planned large purchase!
Of course, this will take time, but you will be sure that the cashback will return to your card.
As a rule, if cashback on a card is accrued precisely on the basis of MCC codes, then banks publish on their website the codes by which cashback will (or will not) be accrued.
If the bank serving you for some reason forgot to do this, we have prepared for you a table with the most popular MCC codes by category.
| Category | MCC codes | Short description |
| Automobile | 4121, 5013, 5511, 5521, 5531, 5532, 5533, 5541, 5542, 5551, 5561, 5571, 5592, 5598, 5599, 5935, 7511, 7512, 7513, 7519, 7523, 7524, 7531, 7534, 7535, 7538, 7542, 7549, 8675 |
Gas stations, service, car washes, auto parts, parking, purchase of transport funds |
| House | 0763, 0780, 1520, 1711, 1731, 1740, 1750, 1761, 1771, 1799, 5021, 5039, 5051, 5111, 5131, 5169, 5193, 5198, 5200, 5211, 5231, 5251, 5261, 5299, 5712, 5713, 5714, 5718, 5719, 5734, 5817, 5971, 5978, 5992, 5996, 7210, 7211, 7216, 7217, 7342, 7349, 7623, 7641, 7692, 9751, 9753 |
Construction shops, plumbing, furniture, garden shops, goods for houses, payment for work repair organizations |
| Food and products | 5199, 5309, 5311, 5331, 5422, 5441, 5451, 5462, 5499, 5811 |
Grocery supermarkets and the shops, universal shops, shops Duty Free |
| Purchases | 4813, 5044, 5045, 5046, 5065, 5072, 5074, 5094, 5099, 5137, 5139, 5172, 5310, 5611, 5621, 5631, 5651, 5661, 5681, 5691, 5697, 5698, 5699, 5722, 5732, 5931, 5944, 5948, 5950, 5977, 5997, 5999, 7251, 7278, 7296, 7379, 7394, 7622, 7629 |
Clothing, shoes, household equipment, computer and digital technology, cosmetics, watches and jewelry |
| Trips | 3000-4000, 4011, 4111, 4112, 4131, 4411, 4457, 4468, 4784, 4789, 4511, 4582, 4722, 4723, 4761, 5962, 6513, 7011, 7012, 7991 |
Air and train tickets, ferries, hotels, hotels, car rental, tourist services, public transport |
| Entertainment | 5735, 5812, 5813, 5814, 5815, 5816, 5921, 5932, 5937, 5946, 5947, 5949, 5972, 5973, 5993, 7221, 7332, 7333, 7338, 7395, 7829, 7832, 7841, 7922, 7929, 7993, 7994, 7996 |
Restaurants, bars, cafes, cinemas, theaters, exhibitions, museums, parks entertainment |
|
And most importantly, remember that large cashback on major purchases can not only be calculated, but also received. The main thing is to remember how it is awarded and know a few little tricks that we told you about today. Have a nice cashback! |
Banking organizations regularly hold promotions to return part of the funds spent on purchases to the client’s card. Quite often, under the terms of such bonus programs, it is necessary to buy things at certain retail outlets. Therefore, in order to take advantage of bonuses, the plastic holder must first find out which stores are participating in the promotion. This can be done using MCC codes. You should understand what an MCC code is, what it is used for, and how you can find out its meaning for a specific outlet.
Definition of the term
The advantages of non-cash payments make them increasingly popular among the population and entrepreneurs. There are already more than 18 million retail outlets in the world where you can pay with plastic. Their number is constantly growing. Many domestic stores are also equipped with equipment that allows customers to pay for purchases and services with a bank card. In this case, each retail outlet is required to be assigned a specific MCC code during the installation of terminals.
This abbreviation comes from the English – Merchant Category Code. Translating the expression into Russian reflects its essence - “dealer category code”. In fact, the MCC code is a four-digit number that a financial institution assigns to a store to classify it.
Every company that has equipment for non-cash payments to customers has a four-digit number. Exactly what numbers will be included in it depends on the scope of the store’s activities. The code must accurately describe the services provided by the outlet. Supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, and airports have their own unique numbers. Accordingly, they can be used to determine in what area the enterprise operates and what services it provides to the population.
One retail chain may have several MCC codes, depending on what services are provided by its specific outlet. For example, if one store in a chain sells clothing and another sells jewelry, they will be assigned different codes, although both points belong to the same retail chain. It should be noted that banks do not invent codes on their own. There is a clear list of codes and the corresponding types of outlets. Eg:
- code 5941 denotes stores that distribute sports equipment;
- 5532 – points selling tires;
- 4722 – agencies providing excursion services.
The use of MCC codes is a common worldwide practice. The same systems operate in many modern countries, including the USA and France. The latter, for example, has its own analogue - the NAF code, which uses not only digital, but also alphabetic designations.
Purpose of the codes
MCC codes are used in various areas of banking. First of all, as mentioned above, they are needed for high-quality classification of retail outlets depending on the services they provide. In the USA, for example, this system is also used in taxation (the enterprise code determines whether it is necessary to transfer information about transactions performed to the fiscal department). Banking organizations operating in the Russian Federation often use these numbers when providing cashback services.
Cash-back is a special option designed to encourage the client to use their plastic card as often as possible. After paying at the point of sale for the plastic to which the service is connected, a certain percentage of the money spent is returned. In some cases, money is transferred directly to the card, in others it is accumulated in the form of bonuses that can be used for future purchases.
However, as mentioned above, sometimes banks hold special promotions or introduce bonus programs, under the terms of which the use of plastic cards at certain retail outlets leads to increased cashback. Such a program, for example, operates at Sberbank for clients who make purchases at Pyaterochka (“Thank you” bonuses).
Quite often, the list of codes that activate the cashback service is limited. Therefore, the cardholder needs to know what MCC code a particular store has. Otherwise, he may lose the opportunity to return part of the funds spent, since it is with the help of these codes that the financial institution determines at which outlet the purchase was made.
There is one more important nuance. When compiling a list of codes, employees of a banking organization may make a mistake. Since, as mentioned earlier, the nature of the transaction is determined by the MCC code, if it was assigned incorrectly, the holder will not be able to return part of his funds in the form of cashback. For example, if an error occurred in a banking organization and during a non-cash payment at Auchan (code - 5411), the operation went through as a cash withdrawal from an ATM (6010), cashback will not work.
How to find out what code is assigned to a point of sale
How to find out the MCC code of a retail outlet? There are several ways to do this. So it is possible:
- Contact the employees of the bank that services the plastic card.
- Study the documentation of the financial institution.
- Make a trial purchase and view the code using the online banking service.
- Use specialized online resources.
The first two methods are the most reliable. But a bank employee may refuse to provide this information to the client. Official documentation also does not always contain MCC codes. All of the above methods should be considered in more detail.
Contacting financial institution employees
First of all, you should try to find out this information from bank employees. This can be done either in person or remotely (by calling the call center number). In this case, the plastic holder can:
- ask bank employees what MCC code is assigned to a specific outlet;
- pay with plastic and ask what code the operation was used.
But none of the methods presented above guarantees that the necessary information will be obtained. The answer will largely depend on the specific bank and the level of knowledge of the employee contacted by the cardholder.
In some financial institutions, the necessary data will be available immediately; in others, the employee will refuse to give the code, citing the fact that the bank does not provide such information. Quite often, the last answer option is used when an employee simply does not know what the MCC code is and, accordingly, does not understand what exactly is required of him.
Studying bank documentation
Some financial institutions, such as Tinkoff Bank, publicly distribute MCC codes assigned to retail outlets. You can familiarize yourself with them by studying the table located in the official documentation on card products. To do this, you need to select a specific plastic and open additional documents posted on its page.
However, most financial institutions do not take this approach. If you were unable to find out the MCC code through bank employees and its documentation, you can try to do this using Internet banking.
Using Internet Banking
Internet banking allows bank clients to manage their accounts and plastics remotely, without personally visiting a branch of a banking organization. You can also use this service to find out the code corresponding to the outlet. To do this you need:
- Make a purchase at a retail outlet.
- Go through the authorization procedure in Internet banking (log in to your “Personal Account”).
- Go to the statements category.
- View data on the transaction performed.
If the bank provides such information on the statement, you need to look for the four-digit number. It will correspond to the MCC code of the outlet. However, not all online services provide this opportunity. For example, clients of Tinkoff and Touch Bank institutions and holders of Kukuruza plastic cards can find out the point code using Internet banking.
Specialized Internet resources
The easiest way to find out the four-digit number assigned to a specific outlet is to use specialized Internet resources. There are many reference books of MCC codes posted on the Internet, and there are special sites dedicated to this problem. The most famous resource where you can find such information is the website - http://mcc-code.ru/. To find out the MCC code of a specific store, you need to:
- Go to the resource website.
- Enter the required data in the search bar.
- Click the button "Search".
The resource is constantly updated, new codes are added. Regular users take part in this process. However, it should be taken into account that MCC codes are constantly changing, updated, and deleted. Therefore, the information displayed on the site will not always correspond to reality at the time of the search.
Is this information on sales receipts?
After the purchase, the plastic holder is issued a sales receipt. It contains a list of purchased items, their cost, total price and other information. How to find out the MCC code of a store using a receipt? It is impossible to do this. Modern retail outlets do not include such information in sales receipts. Accordingly, to obtain a four-digit code, you must use one of the methods described above.
Specific examples
As already mentioned, each retail outlet has its own MCC code. Knowing it is important for the correct use of cashback. However, points on the same network can simultaneously have different MCC codes. So:
- The code for all branches of the Sportmaster chain, regardless of the specific city and street, is 5941. Moreover, the names of stores in the extract are often different.
- The situation with the M.Video network is somewhat more complicated. The code for the online store is 5732. At the same time, the code for points of sale located in the cities of the country is 5722. In this case, the four-digit number directly depends on whether the buyer pays with plastic online or does it at one of the points of sale.
- The main MCC code of Leroy Merlin is 5261. However, the retail outlet in Yekaterinburg is designated by the code 5200, as is the online store of this chain.
- The four-digit numbers associated with Pyaterochka directly depend on the location of the store. The main code is 5411, but some retail outlets have the following designations: 7362, 5399, 5331.
- The code for all Auchan stores, regardless of city or street, is the same - 5411.
The above are just a few examples of such codes. Obviously, stores of even the same chain in some cases may have different MCC codes. In this regard, plastic holders are advised to check the number of each outlet, regardless of which network it belongs to. It should be noted that a thorough check will also allow the plastic holder to protect himself from banking errors. Knowing the codes, a citizen will be able to make purchases in those stores where the cashback service actually works.
Thus, when connecting a retail outlet to the non-cash payment system, the banking organization simultaneously assigns it an MCC code. This is a special four-digit number that allows you to determine in which area of business the enterprise operates. A similar digital designation is also assigned to each operation carried out by the client. Using this system, the bank monitors the actions of clients.
Plastic card holders need knowledge of these codes to use the cashback option. To find out which number is assigned to a specific outlet, you must use one of the methods described above. The list of MCC codes is constantly changing, so it is recommended to update the information periodically.
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