WordsMerchant category code
MCC
Short for merchant category code: a four-digit number for a shop’s main line of business. The shop’s own bank assigns it under the card network’s rules, so it usually describes the shop, whatever you bought there.
Banks tie rewards, and sometimes whether a payment goes through at all, to these codes; HDFC Bank’s MITC, for example, gives some rewards only on an eligible MCC and declines certain codes on one of its business cards.
Where this comes from
- Visa, Merchant Data Standards ManualApril 2026, section 2, determining merchant category codes, page 18
- HDFC Bank, Key Fact Statement cum MITC for Credit CardsVersion 4.12, 30 September 2026: Part I, I) reward points and J) other important information
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