Low Risk
MCC Codes
95 merchant category codes with low-risk classification. These industries enjoy the best interchange rates, widest acquirer acceptance, and simplest compliance requirements.
What does low-risk mean for merchants?
Best processing rates
Standard interchange rates with no risk premiums. No rolling reserves required. The most cost-effective tier for payment processing.
Universal acceptance
Every payment processor, PSP, and acquirer accepts low-risk MCCs. Maximum flexibility to shop for competitive rates.
Simple onboarding
Standard KYC/KYB requirements. Fast merchant account approval with minimal documentation beyond business registration.
Agricultural Services
6 codesVeterinary Services
Banfield Pet Hospital · VCA Animal Hospitals · Local veterinary clinics
Agricultural Cooperatives
CHS Inc. · Land O'Lakes · Dairy Farmers of America
Agricultural Services — Crop Preparation
Local crop preparation services · Farm management companies · Agricultural consultants
Agricultural Services — Livestock
Cattle ranches · Livestock breeders · Animal husbandry services
Agricultural Services — Crop Services
Crop dusting services · Irrigation services · Farm labor contractors
Landscaping & Horticultural Services
TruGreen · BrightView · Local landscaping companies
Airlines
5 codesUnited Airlines
United Airlines flights · United Express
American Airlines
American Airlines flights · American Eagle
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines flights · Delta Connection
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines flights
Airlines & Air Carriers (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Charter airlines · Regional carriers · Air cargo services
Business Services
4 codesAdvertising Services
Google Ads · Facebook Ads · Advertising agencies
Computer Programming, Data Processing, & Integrated Systems Design
Software development firms · IT consulting · SaaS companies
Computer Maintenance & Repair
Geek Squad · Local PC repair shops · Apple Genius Bar (service)
Management, Consulting, & Public Relations Services
McKinsey · Deloitte Consulting · Independent consultants · PR agencies
Car Rental
2 codesClothing & Accessories
5 codesMen's & Boys' Clothing & Accessories Stores
Men's Wearhouse · Jos. A. Bank · Brooks Brothers
Women's Ready-to-Wear Stores
Zara · H&M · Ann Taylor · LOFT
Family Clothing Stores
Old Navy · Gap · TJ Maxx · Ross
Men's & Women's Clothing Stores
Banana Republic · J.Crew · Express
Miscellaneous Apparel & Accessory Shops
Shoe stores · Hat shops · Accessory boutiques · Sunglass Hut
Contracted Services
8 codesHeating, Plumbing, & Air Conditioning Contractors
Local HVAC companies · Service Experts · ARS/Rescue Rooter
Electrical Contractors
Local electricians · Mr. Electric · Mister Sparky
Masonry, Stonework, Tile, & Plastering
Local masonry contractors · Tile installation companies
Carpentry Contractors
Custom cabinet makers · Framing contractors · Finish carpenters
Concrete Work Contractors
Local concrete contractors · Foundation specialists · Flatwork companies
Miscellaneous Publishing and Printing
Local print shops · Self-publishing companies · Newsletter publishers
Typesetting, Platemaking, and Related Services
Pre-press service companies · Typesetting businesses · Platemaking shops
Specialty Cleaning, Polishing, and Sanitation Preparations
Cleaning supply manufacturers · Industrial chemical companies · Sanitation product firms
Electronics & Computers
2 codesEntertainment & Recreation
7 codesMotion Picture Theaters
AMC Theatres · Regal Cinemas · Cinemark
DVD/Video Tape Rental Stores
Redbox · Video rental stores
Commercial Sports, Athletic Fields, & Promoters
Sports venues · Athletic promoters · Professional sports events
Tourist Attractions & Exhibits
Disney theme parks · Museums · Zoos · Aquariums
Video Game Arcades & Establishments
Dave & Buster's · Round1 · Local arcades
Amusement Parks, Circuses, & Carnivals
Six Flags · Cedar Fair · Traveling carnivals
Membership Clubs — Country Clubs, Golf Courses, Athletic Clubs
Golf clubs · Country clubs · Tennis clubs · Fitness clubs
Financial Services
1 codesFood & Grocery
8 codesGrocery Stores & Supermarkets
Walmart Grocery · Kroger · Whole Foods · Publix
Freezer & Locker Meat Provisioners
ButcherBox · Omaha Steaks · Local butcher shops
Candy, Nut, & Confectionery Stores
See's Candies · Godiva · Local candy shops
Dairy Products Stores
Dairy Queen (retail) · Local dairy shops · Cheese shops
Bakeries
Panera Bread (retail) · Local bakeries · Specialty cake shops
Miscellaneous Food Stores — Convenience Stores, Specialty Markets
7-Eleven · Wawa · Specialty food markets · Health food stores
Eating Places & Restaurants
McDonald's · Olive Garden · Local restaurants · DoorDash
Fast Food Restaurants
McDonald's · Subway · Chick-fil-A · Taco Bell
Government Services
5 codesCourt Costs & Fines
Traffic fines · Court filing fees · Municipal fines
Fines
Parking fines · Municipal violations · Regulatory penalties
Tax Payments
IRS tax payments · State tax payments · Property tax payments
Government Services (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Passport applications · Visa fees · License renewals · Permit applications
Postal Services — Government Only
USPS · Royal Mail · Australia Post
Home & Furnishing
2 codesLodging
2 codesMiscellaneous Retail
8 codesDrug Stores & Pharmacies
CVS · Walgreens · Rite Aid · Pharmacy departments
Sporting Goods Stores
Dick's Sporting Goods · REI · Academy Sports · Bass Pro Shops
Book Stores
Barnes & Noble · Amazon Books · Independent bookstores
Artist Supply & Craft Stores
Michaels · Hobby Lobby · Joann Fabrics
Cosmetic Stores
Sephora · Ulta Beauty · MAC Cosmetics · Bath & Body Works
Fuel Dealers — Fuel Oil, Wood, Coal, & Liquefied Petroleum
Home heating oil · Propane delivery · Firewood delivery
Pet Shops, Pet Food, & Supplies
PetSmart · Petco · Chewy · Local pet stores
Drug Stores & Pharmacies
CVS · Walgreens · Rite Aid
Personal Services
3 codesProfessional Services
9 codesDoctors & Physicians (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Doctor offices · Medical clinics · Telehealth providers
Dentists & Orthodontists
Dental offices · Orthodontist practices · Dental chains like Aspen Dental
Optometrists & Ophthalmologists
Eye doctors · LensCrafters · Vision centers
Chiropractors
Chiropractic offices · The Joint Chiropractic
Hospitals
HCA Healthcare · Mayo Clinic · Community hospitals
Health Practitioners & Medical Services (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Physical therapists · Acupuncturists · Mental health services · Lab services
Elementary & Secondary Schools
Private schools · Charter schools · K-12 education
Colleges, Universities, & Professional Schools
Universities · Community colleges · Professional schools · Coursera
Civic, Social, & Fraternal Associations
Rotary Club · Elks Lodge · VFW · Lions Club
Retail Stores
8 codesMotor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts
AutoZone · O'Reilly Auto Parts · NAPA
Computers, Peripherals, & Software
Apple Store · Micro Center · Newegg
Department Stores
Macy's · Nordstrom · Target · Kohl's
Variety Stores
Dollar Tree · Dollar General · Five Below
General Merchandise Stores (Not Elsewhere Classified)
Amazon (some transactions) · Costco · BJ's Wholesale
Service Stations (with or without Ancillary Services)
Shell · ExxonMobil · BP · Chevron
Automated Fuel Dispensers
Pay-at-pump stations · Automated gas stations
Motorcycle Shops & Dealers
Harley-Davidson · Honda Powersports · Local motorcycle dealers
Transportation
6 codesLocal & Suburban Commuter Passenger Transportation
Metro/subway systems · City buses · Commuter rail
Taxicabs & Rideshares
Uber · Lyft · Yellow Cab · Local taxi companies
Bus Lines
Greyhound · FlixBus · Megabus
Motor Freight Carriers, Trucking
FedEx Freight · XPO Logistics · Local trucking companies
Courier Services — Air & Ground
FedEx · UPS · DHL
Airports, Flying Fields, & Airport Terminals
Airport parking · Terminal shops · Airport services
Utilities & Telecom
4 codesTelecommunication Equipment & Telephone Sales
Phone stores · Telecom equipment dealers
Telecommunication Services
AT&T · Verizon · T-Mobile · Local phone companies
Computer Network/Information Services
Internet service providers · CompuServe · Cloud services
Cable, Satellite, & Pay Television
Comcast/Xfinity · DirecTV · Dish Network · Spectrum
Frequently asked questions
What are low-risk MCC codes?
Low-risk MCC codes are merchant category codes assigned to industries with historically low chargeback rates, minimal fraud exposure, and straightforward regulatory environments. Examples include grocery stores (5411), gas stations (5541), and general retail (5311). These codes qualify for the lowest interchange rates and are accepted by virtually all payment processors.
Do low-risk MCCs guarantee low processing fees?
Low-risk MCCs qualify for standard or preferred interchange rates, which are the lowest tier. However, your actual processing cost also depends on your acquirer's markup, transaction volume, card-present vs card-not-present mix, and average ticket size. Payment orchestration can further reduce costs by routing to the most competitive acquirer for each transaction.
Can a low-risk MCC merchant still get flagged?
Yes. Even with a low-risk MCC, individual merchants can be flagged if their chargeback rate exceeds network thresholds (typically 0.9% for Visa and 1% for Mastercard). Unusual transaction patterns, sudden volume spikes, or cross-border activity can also trigger enhanced monitoring regardless of MCC classification.
Which payment processors accept all low-risk MCCs?
Virtually every payment processor and acquirer accepts low-risk MCC codes. This includes Stripe, Adyen, Worldpay, Checkout.com, and all major banks. The wide acceptance means merchants can shop for the most competitive rates and use payment orchestration to optimize across multiple providers.
How does Tagada optimize processing for low-risk merchants?
Even for low-risk MCCs, Tagada's orchestration engine improves economics by routing each transaction to the acquirer offering the lowest interchange + markup combination for that specific card type, issuing country, and transaction size. This typically saves 0.1-0.3% on processing costs at scale.
Reduce processing costs even further
Tagada routes each transaction to the acquirer with the lowest interchange + markup for that specific card type and geography — saving low-risk merchants 0.1-0.3% at scale.