Check MCC guide
How to Find Your Merchant Category Code (MCC)
An MCC is the four-digit code your card issuer reads to decide which bonus categories apply to a purchase. Here are five ways to find it, fastest first.
1. Use a merchant lookup tool (fastest)
Search the merchant name on the Check MCC lookup. For example, eBay is listed as MCC 5999 in the site's merchant database. The result gives you the typical code, its category meaning, and the card rewards shown for that code.
2. Read the transaction detail on your statement
Some issuers show a category label or merchant descriptor beside a posted transaction. The descriptor can hint at how the purchase was classified, but it is not necessarily the four-digit MCC itself. Look for a transaction-detail view, downloadable statement field, or category information in your issuer account.
3. Ask your issuer's app or support team
Issuers can see the exact MCC attached to a posted transaction. Ask: “What MCC did this transaction post under?” This is the most useful check when a purchase did not receive the bonus you expected.
4. Check the network reference lists
Use the Visa MCC codes and Mastercard MCC codes references to understand the category attached to a code. A merchant's acquiring bank or processor ultimately assigns the code, so a reference list explains the category but cannot guarantee how every merchant posts.
5. Reverse lookup from the code
Already have a four-digit code from a statement? Use the full MCC code list to look up its meaning. For example, 5411 is Grocery Stores, Supermarkets, while 5812 is Eating Places, Restaurants.
Why your MCC matters for rewards
Card issuers use the posted MCC—not simply the brand name—to decide whether a purchase earns a bonus. A wallet, marketplace, delivery app, or other intermediary may post its own category, so the same merchant can produce different reward outcomes in different payment flows. Catch-all codes such as MCC 7299 are a useful reminder to verify the actual code before relying on a bonus.
Frequently asked questions
what is my merchant category code
If you are a cardholder asking about a purchase, use the lookup tool, your transaction detail, or your issuer support team. If you are a merchant asking about your own store, your acquirer or payment processor assigns the MCC.
reverse merchant id lookup
Start with the four-digit code from your statement and use the full MCC list to go from code to category and related merchants.
merchant information lookup
The Check MCC search returns a merchant, its typical MCC, the category meaning, and ranked card rewards in one step.