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High-Risk Merchant Category Codes – MCC

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A Merchant Category Code (MCC) is a four-figure number used to categorize business entities according to the type of products or services the company offers. Credit card associations have set up rules dictating merchants in specific high-risk MCC codes to pre register with these associations to ensure monitoring of risks. These high risk categories include industries which primarily cause the highest rates of disputes caused by cardholders or represent risky brands for regulatory purposes.

The following is a list of visa MCC codes that need high-risk registration and many other business categories where retailers find it difficult to qualify for merchant accounts.

MCC

      MCC    Merchant Category Code
4722 Travel agencies and tour operators
4812 Telecom equipment and sales
4814 Telecom services
4816 Computer network services
4829 Wire transfers & money orders
5122 Drugs, Proprietaries & Sundries
5912 Drug stores and pharmacies
5962 Direct Marketing-Travel
5964 Direct Marketing-Catalog Merchant
5966 DM-Outbound telemarketing
5967 DM-Inbound Teleservices
5968 Direct Marketing- Subscription
5969 Direct Marketing-other
5993 Cigar stores and Stands
7021 Timeshares
7273 Dating and Escort
7841 Video tape rental stores
7994 Video games and arcades
7995 Betting and casino Gambling
9399 Government Services
9754 None-Face-to-Face Gambling

 

High risk accounts are difficult to acquire because traditional banks are not willing to work with such merchants. Most of them don’t have the right tools in place to reduce associated risks and have policies that prohibit them from offering services to risky industries.

EMB has made it their responsibility to offer a range of local and offshore merchant accounts to all low risk and high-risk merchants. Not only that, it also has acquiring bank partnerships, skills and a good reputation to help your high risk business acquire a merchant account.

As you can see, if your company is high risk, then it’s time you register for risk monitoring. The above table contains a list of visa MCC codes for different industry categories; you must definitely fall in one of the above.