MCC code4 min readUpdated October 15, 2026

MCC 1521: A SIC Code, Not a Card Code. General Contractors Use 1520

MCC 1521 isn't a Visa card code: it's the SIC code for home builders. Contractors get MCC 1520. Visa's wording, the trade codes, and 1520 risk.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 5 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

MCC 1521 is not a merchant category code in Visa's April 2026 manual or in Stripe's MCC list. 1521 is a SIC code, General Contractors-Single-Family Houses. On card payments, general contractors use MCC 1520, General Contractors – Residential and Commercial, which covers new construction, remodeling, repairs, additions and alterations.

1521 is a US SIC industry code for single-family home builders. Visa's April 2026 manual has no MCC 1521.
The card code for general contractors is 1520, General Contractors – Residential and Commercial. One code covers homes and commercial buildings.
Specialty trades have their own codes: 1711, 1731, 1740, 1750, 1761, 1771 and 1799.
1520 isn't on Visa's high-integrity-risk list, and Stripe lists it as neither restricted nor prohibited.

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On this page

You searched "MCC 1521", maybe because a form, a list or a supplier showed it for a home builder. Card networks don't use 1521. Here is where the number comes from, the card code general contractors actually get, and the codes for each trade.

Is 1521 a real MCC? No, it's a SIC code

1521 comes from the US Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), a government system for classifying industries. The SIC Manual titles it General Contractors-Single-Family Houses:2

General contractors primarily engaged in construction (including new work, additions, alterations, remodeling, and repair) of single-family houses.

OSHA, SIC Manual, 1521

Visa's April 2026 manual lists no MCC 1521: the codes go from 1520 to 1711.1 Stripe's MCC list has no 1521 either.3 Visa explains the overlap itself: its MCCs "have been derived from Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Codes", but "Visa MCCs and SIC codes do not always correspond", and Visa often "consolidated several SIC codes into one MCC".1 That is what happened here. The SIC system splits single-family houses (1521) from other residential buildings (1522) and nonresidential buildings (group 154, such as 1542).2 Visa uses one card code for all of them: 1520.

What MCC 1520 means

Visa titles 1520 General Contractors – Residential and Commercial:1

Merchants classified with this MCC are general contractors primarily engaged in construction of residential and/or commercial buildings. This MCC includes contractors that perform new construction as well as remodeling, repair, additions, or alterations.

Visa, Merchant Data Standards Manual, April 2026, p. 26

Visa's "Included in this MCC" column lists Building Contractors – Residential, Commercial, Construction Companies and General Contractors.1 Visa also names 1520 among the codes for real estate purchases, which 6513 (real estate agents and managers) excludes. A deposit on a real estate purchase stays in 6513.1

Stripe labels the same code "General Services".3 The name differs, the code is the same. Visa and Mastercard name no brands. The PXP directory lists large home builders under 1520; that's not an official source.4

General contractor vs trade codes

Visa assigns the code of the activity with the most annual sales.1 A builder that manages whole projects gets 1520. A contractor whose main work is one trade gets that trade's code. These are the similar merchants Visa lists for 1520:

MCC	Visa title	Use it instead of 1520 when
1711	Heating, Plumbing, and Air Conditioning Contractors	You install or repair HVAC, plumbing, sprinklers or solar heating
1731	Electrical Contractors	You do electrical, alarm, cable or telecom installation
1740	Masonry, Stonework, Tile Setting, Plastering and Insulation Contractors	You lay brick, stone or tile, plaster, insulate or hang drywall
1750	Carpentry Contractors	You do framing, trim, on-site cabinets, windows or doors
1761	Roofing, Siding, and Sheet Metal Work Contractors	You install roofs, siding, gutters or skylights
1771	Concrete Work Contractors	You pour foundations, driveways, patios or sidewalks
1799	Special Trade Contractors (Not Elsewhere Classified)	Your trade has no specific code: fences, pools, demolition, waterproofing

Source: Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual, April 2026, pages 26 and 27.1

Verdict

Some software platforms put fencing, foundation and waterproofing work under 1520 by default.5 Visa's manual is more precise: fence construction and waterproofing are in 1799, and pouring foundations is in 1771. A store that sells building materials uses 5211, not a contractor code.

Risk, cardholders and merchants

Risk. 1520 isn't on Visa's April 2026 list of high-integrity-risk codes.1 Stripe lists 1520 as neither restricted nor prohibited.3 Our high-risk MCC codes guide lists the codes Visa does flag.

Deposits. Contractors often charge a deposit before work starts. Visa limits full prepayment to a few categories and sets disclosure rules for partial deposits; our MCC 5712 page summarizes them.

Cardholders. A charge from a builder or remodeler shows up as 1520, not 1521. Each issuer decides which codes earn points or cashback; read your card's terms. If a charge looks wrong, your bank can explain a chargeback.

Merchants. Stripe sets the MCC from your declared industry, then your website.3 If your account shows a trade code but you run whole projects, or the reverse, ask your acquirer to correct it. Our guide shows where to find your MCC.

Updated on October 15, 2026

Nick Bonnassies

CMO at Tagada

CMO at Tagada. Before Tagada, Nick built direct-to-consumer brands that generated over $115M in sales, raised over $25M in crowdfunding and sold two of them. He also works as a fractional CMO on marketing operations and AI systems.

Frequently asked questions

Is 1521 a valid MCC code?

Not as a card code. Visa's April 2026 Merchant Data Standards Manual goes from 1520 to 1711, and Stripe's MCC list has no 1521. 1521 is a SIC code, General Contractors-Single-Family Houses. If a form or a list shows MCC 1521, it has mixed up SIC and MCC. The card code is 1520.

What is MCC 1520?

MCC 1520 is the merchant category code Visa titles General Contractors – Residential and Commercial. It covers general contractors primarily engaged in building homes or commercial buildings, including new construction, remodeling, repair, additions and alterations. Stripe labels the same code "General Services".

What is the MCC code for a construction company or contractor?

A general contractor or construction company that builds or remodels whole buildings uses 1520. A trade contractor uses its own code: 1711 for heating, plumbing and air conditioning, 1731 for electrical, 1740 for masonry and tile, 1750 for carpentry, 1761 for roofing and siding, 1771 for concrete, 1799 for other trades.

Is MCC 1520 high risk?

No. 1520 isn't on Visa's April 2026 list of high-integrity-risk codes, and Stripe lists it as neither restricted nor prohibited. The PXP directory rates it medium because of large, staged payments and deposits, but that isn't an official rating.

Sources

Checked October 15, 2026

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