MCC code4 min readUpdated October 15, 2026

MCC 8211: Elementary and Secondary Schools (K-12)

MCC 8211 is Visa's code for K-12 schools. What it covers, the right code for every kind of school, Visa's service fee rule, Stripe and card rewards.

Nick Bonnassies, CMO at Tagada · checked against 5 sources

Article summary

TL;DR

MCC 8211 is the merchant category code for elementary and secondary schools that provide academic instruction: grade, grammar, middle and high schools, plus kindergartens. Colleges use 8220, trade schools 8249, business schools 8244, other courses 8299, and nurseries and preschools 8351. It's a low-risk code, and US schools on it may charge a disclosed service fee.

Visa defines 8211 as elementary and secondary schools that provide academic instruction, including grade, grammar, middle and high schools and kindergartens.
There is no single school code: K-12 is 8211, degree-granting colleges 8220, vocational schools 8249, business schools 8244, other courses 8299, child care 8351.
Kindergartens sit on 8211. Nursery schools and preschool centers sit on 8351.
8211 isn't on Visa's high-risk list, and Stripe lists it as not restricted. In the US, Canada and Egypt, Visa lets schools on 8211 charge a disclosed service fee.

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On this page

You saw "8211" next to a school payment, on a statement or in a payment dashboard. It's the card code for K-12 schools. Here is Visa's exact wording, the right code for every other kind of school, and the Visa rules that name 8211.

What MCC 8211 means

MCC 8211 is the four-digit merchant category code for Elementary and Secondary Schools. Visa's manual defines it in one sentence:1

Merchants classified with this MCC are elementary and secondary schools that provide academic instruction.

Visa, Merchant Data Standards Manual, April 2026, p. 104

Visa's "Included in this MCC" column lists grade schools, grammar schools, high schools, middle schools and kindergartens. Its "Similar Merchants" column names six codes: 8220, 8241, 8244, 8249, 8299 and 8351.1 Stripe lists the code as "Elementary, Secondary Schools".3

MCC 8211 vs SIC 8211. The US SIC system also uses 8211 for "elementary and secondary schools furnishing academic courses, ordinarily for kindergarten through grade 12."4 Same number, different system: only the MCC, set by the school's acquirer, travels with card payments.

MCC code for schools: which one?

There is no single "school" code. Visa splits education into seven codes, and the type of school decides.1

School	MCC	Visa title
K-12: grade, middle, high schools, kindergartens	8211	Elementary and Secondary Schools
Colleges and universities that grant degrees	8220	Colleges, Universities, Professional Schools, and Junior Colleges
Welding, mechanics, real estate, truck driving	8249	Vocational and Trade Schools
Office, clerical and computer training	8244	Business and Secretarial Schools
Lessons and exams sent by mail or internet	8241	Correspondence Schools
Art, cooking, driving, flying, karate schools, other courses	8299	Schools and Educational Services (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Day care, nursery schools, preschool centers	8351	Child Care Services

Verdict

K-12: 8211. A degree: 8220. A trade: 8249. Office skills: 8244. Any other course: 8299. Under school age: 8351.

Kindergarten or preschool? Visa puts kindergartens in 8211 and nursery schools and preschool centers in 8351.1

Tutoring centers. PXP's directory lists tutoring chains among 8211 merchants.5 That's a directory, not Visa. Visa's 8211 covers schools, and tutoring has no named code; our MCC 8299 page explains where it usually lands.

Visa rules and risk for MCC 8211

8211 is a low-risk code. It isn't on Visa's April 2026 list of high-risk MCCs, and Stripe lists it as neither restricted nor prohibited.1 3 Visa's rules name it in four places:2

Rule	What it says about 8211	Where
Service fee	Schools on 8211 may charge a Visa service fee in the US, Canada and Egypt	Core Rules 5.5.3.1, Table 5-6, p. 396-397
Bill payment services	A registered bill payment service paying a school uses the school's code, 8211, from Visa's allowed list; otherwise 4829	Core Rules 5.12.1, Table 5-35, p. 500-506
Payment facilitators	Sub-merchants on 8211 are exempt from the direct acquirer agreement above USD 1 million a year	Core Rules 5.3.1.4, p. 369
B2B payment platforms	8211 can't be a supplier in a business payment solution provider flow	Core Rules 5.12.2.1, p. 508

The service fee must be disclosed before payment, with a way to cancel without penalty. Unlike 8220, 8244 and 8249, a US school on 8211 can't cap the amount it accepts on credit cards. Both rules are detailed on our MCC 8220 page, and fees compared in our credit card surcharge guide.2

For parents and schools

Parents. The code usually isn't printed on your statement; your banking app may show the category. Each issuing bank decides which codes earn points or cashback, and education is a common exclusion: see the issuer examples on our MCC 8220 page. Fees paid through a bill payment app may show as education, or as a money transfer (4829) if the app can't use the school's code. Your bank can't change a school's code.

Schools. Stripe notes that MCCs are used to calculate interchange fees, authorize payments and prevent fraud.3 If your uniform shop or cafeteria runs as a separate business, Visa allows one MCC per line of business.1 Each merchant account has its own code: check it with our guide to finding your MCC, and send your provider the evidence if it's wrong.

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

What is MCC 8211?

MCC 8211 is the merchant category code for elementary and secondary schools. Visa's April 2026 manual defines it as elementary and secondary schools that provide academic instruction, and includes grade schools, grammar schools, middle schools, high schools and kindergartens. It tells your bank that a payment went to a K-12 school.

What is the MCC code for a school?

It depends on the school. K-12 schools use 8211. Colleges and universities that grant degrees use 8220. Vocational and trade schools use 8249, business and secretarial schools 8244, correspondence schools 8241, and other courses, such as driving or art schools, 8299. Nursery schools and preschools use 8351.

Is MCC 8211 the same as SIC 8211?

No, they're two systems that share a number. The MCC is the card network code a school's acquirer assigns for payments. SIC 8211 is an older US industry code for statistics and regulation. Both describe elementary and secondary schools, but only the MCC affects card payments and rewards.

Do school fees under MCC 8211 earn credit card rewards?

Often not. Each issuing bank decides which codes earn points or cashback, and education codes are a common exclusion. Kotak Mahindra Bank lists 8211 among its excluded education codes, for example. Read your card's rewards terms before paying a large fee.

Sources

Checked October 15, 2026

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