Cosmetic Stores
Check which credit cards earn the most rewards on cosmetic stores purchases.
2% cashback — All purchases (1% when buying + 1% when paying)
1% cashback — Other purchases
1% cashback — Other purchases
1x points — Other purchases
1x points — Other purchases
1x points — Other purchases
1x points — Other purchases
5% cashback — Chase Travel portal
purchase channel not provided
5x points — Chase Travel portal
purchase channel not provided
5x miles — Capital One Entertainment
purchase channel not provided
MCC 5977 is the Merchant Category Code for Cosmetic Stores. Card networks assign it to cosmetic stores transactions, and your card issuer uses it — not the store name — to decide which bonus category, if any, applies to the purchase.
Covers retail cosmetic and beauty-supply stores (sephora/ulta-style retailers and dedicated cosmetics shops). It does not cover spa or salon services — those typically post under MCC 7298 (Health and Beauty Spas) or MCC 7230 (Beauty and Barber Shops) — and department-store beauty counters usually post under the department store's own code (MCC 5311).
It is the four-digit code card networks assign to cosmetic stores transactions. Issuers read this code to apply bonus rewards.
See the ranking above — it shows each card’s rate on this code and whether the bonus is verified.
The transaction posts under the MCC the acquirer registered, which can differ from what you expect (marketplaces, wallets and booking intermediaries often re-code). Verify the code before large purchases.