What is a merchant category code (MCC)?
A merchant category code is the four-digit label a card network uses to say what kind of business took a payment. This cheat sheet covers how to think about MCCs and where card rules built on them go wrong. Common travel codes are further down.
How to think about it
- It describes the primary business. Visa defines the MCC as a four-digit number describing a merchant's primary business, based on annual sales volume.
- The acquirer assigns it. Visa requires acquirers to assign the correct MCC to each of their merchants, and can require corrections.
- Big travel brands have their own. Major airlines, car rental companies and hotel chains can have merchant-specific MCCs, such as 3504 for Hilton Hotels and 3357 for Hertz.
- Card controls use it. Card programs can block categories of merchants by MCC. Government agencies block certain MCCs on GSA SmartPay cards to prevent fraud and misuse.
Where card rules go wrong
- Blocking only the generic code. An airline, car rental or lodging merchant with its own MCC must use it for its core business, so a rule written only for 7011 or 4511 misses those brands.
- Assuming everything at a hotel codes as lodging. A separate business on hotel premises, like a florist, uses its own MCC whether or not it's affiliated with the hotel.
- Blaming the card for a decline. GSA tells merchants that a card may be refused because the merchant's MCC is blocked by the agency.
Common travel MCC codes
| MCC | Visa title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 3000 to 3350 | Individual airline MCCs | For airlines with their own code |
| 4511 | Airlines and air carriers (not elsewhere classified) | For airlines without their own code |
| 3357 | Hertz | A car rental brand with its own code |
| 7512 | Automobile rental agency | For car rental companies without their own code |
| 3501 | Holiday Inns | A hotel brand with its own code |
| 3504 | Hilton Hotels | A hotel brand with its own code |
| 7011 | Lodging: hotels, motels, resorts, central reservation services (not elsewhere classified) | For lodging without its own code |
| 4121 | Taxicabs and limousines | |
| 4722 | Travel agencies and tour operators | |
| 5812 | Eating places and restaurants |
Questions
How many digits is a merchant category code?
Four. Visa describes the MCC as a four-digit number assigned to describe a merchant's primary business.
What is the MCC for hotels?
The general lodging code is 7011. Hotel chains with their own merchant-specific MCC, such as 3501 for Holiday Inns, must use that code for their core business.
Who assigns a merchant's MCC?
Under Visa's rules, the acquirer assigns the MCC to each merchant and must get it right. Visa can require corrections.
Can a business have more than one MCC?
Yes. A merchant with more than one line of business can use the MCC for its highest-volume business or a different MCC for each line, and some transactions, like ATM cash withdrawals, require their own code.
Sources
- Visa, Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual (October 2026), accessed November 2, 2026.
- U.S. General Services Administration, GSA SmartPay 2 vendor brochure, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Visa, Visa Virtual Card for Business, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Travel Reporting and Analytics, accessed November 2, 2026.