Who assigns the MCC to a merchant?

The acquirer, or a PayFac or PSP acting on its behalf, assigns the MCC during merchant onboarding, based on the merchant's main line of business. Card network rules require the acquirer to assign the correct code to each merchant location.

How the code is chosen

During onboarding, the provider reviews what the merchant sells, how it sells and to whom. It checks the website, the business registration and the products or services offered, then picks the code that best describes the main activity. Some categories, such as gambling, dating or certain digital goods, carry extra requirements and must be registered with the schemes.

Who is responsible

The acquirer remains responsible toward the card schemes, even when a PayFac or another provider assigns the code. Schemes can fine acquirers when merchants are miscoded, especially when a high-risk activity is hidden behind a low-risk code.

When the code should change

If a merchant changes or adds a line of business, the MCC should be reviewed. Ongoing monitoring helps detect activity that no longer matches the registered code.

What merchants can do

A merchant cannot choose its own MCC, but it can ask its provider to review the code if it believes the assignment is wrong.

What it means for payment operators

As a PayFac or PSP, MCC assignment is part of your onboarding duties. An onboarding workflow that captures business activity, flags restricted categories and keeps the decision documented makes the assignment consistent and defensible in a scheme review.