MCC Cheat Sheet: 50+ Codes Every Traveler Should Know

Airlines & Air Travel (MCC 4011)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
4011	Airlines	3–5x points	Best reward rate for any travel card; includes online bookings + airport ticketing
4112	Passenger Railways	2–3x points	Trains, high-speed rail; some travel cards bundle this with airlines
4131	Bus Lines	1–2x points	City buses, intercity coaches; lower rewards than airlines
4214	Motor Freight Carriers	1x	Commercial trucking; not useful for travelers

Travel Card Bonus: Most 3x "airline" bonuses only cover 4011; missed 4112 (trains) and 4131 (buses). If you take trains in Europe, you might not get the 3x you expect.

Hotels & Lodging (MCC 3500–3501)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
3500	Hotels & Motels	3–5x points	Standard hotel booking; includes major chains + boutique hotels
3501	Motels	2–3x points	Budget lodging; some systems treat as separate from 3500
3502	Hotel Casinos	2x or blocked	Risky; some banks don't reward casino-hotels the same as regular hotels
7011	Hotels – Casino	1x or blocked	Explicitly casino-focused; fraud scoring treats as gambling, not travel

Traveler Mistake: Booking a casino-hotel on MCC 3502 or 7011 instead of 3500 costs you 2–3x in lost rewards. Pre-trip research: verify the merchant is coded as 3500 before booking.

Car Rental (MCC 3700–3710)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
3700	Auto Rental	3–5x points	Standard car rental; includes major chains
3710	Taxi	1x or 2x	Taxi dispatch + hail; some travel cards include, others don't
4121	Taxi & Limousine	2–3x points	Ride-hailing (Uber, Grab, Lyft); often 3x on travel cards
4111	Local Transport	1x	Public transit (buses, subways); low reward rate

Key Difference: Taxi dispatch (MCC 3710) vs. ride-hailing (MCC 4121) vs. public transit (MCC 4111) are different codes. Visa premium travel cards often reward 4121 (Uber) at 3x but only 1x on 4111 (subway). International travelers save money using ride-hailing instead of taxis in cities where available.

Dining (MCC 5812–5814)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
5812	Eating Places & Restaurants	3–4x points	Fine dining, casual restaurants, cafe; highest reward tier
5813	Drinking Places (Bars)	1–2x points	Nightclubs, bars; some cards exclude, others limit
5814	Fast Food Restaurants	1–2x points	McDonald's, KFC, Subway; lower rewards than fine dining
5811	Caterers	2x points	Catering companies; business meals
5499	Miscellaneous Food Retailers	1x	Grocery delivery, meal kits (often miscoded); should be 5412

Why The Difference? Visa's risk model views fast food (5814) as lower-ticket, lower-dispute than fine dining (5812). Restaurants pay higher interchange because of dispute risk. Bars (5813) have chargeback risk due to alcohol. Most dining cards reward 5812 at 4x but 5814 at only 1–2x.

Common Miscode: A high-end restaurant in London is miscoded as MCC 5814 (fast food) instead of 5812 (fine dining). You lose 3 points per dollar. Over a year of international dining, this costs $200–$500 in missed rewards.

Grocery & Fuel (MCC 5411–5542)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
5411	Grocery Stores	1–3x points	Supermarkets (Tesco, Carrefour, etc.); vary by card
5412	Grocery Stores (alt)	1–2x points	Alternate code for grocers; less common than 5411
5422	Meat Markets	1x	Butchers, fish markets; low reward rate
5499	Miscellaneous Food	1x	Organic markets, meal kits; often under-rewarded
5541	Gas Stations	1–3x points	Fuel; varies widely by card (some 0%, some 3%)
5542	Fuel Dealers	1x	Alternative fuel (EV charging); emerging MCC
5551	Boat Marinas & Docks	1x	Marina services; niche

Traveler Impact: In many countries, a grocery store where you buy snacks might be coded as MCC 5499 (miscellaneous) instead of 5411 (grocery), costing you rewards. Checking MCC in real-time at checkout lets you request correction before the transaction settles.

Entertainment & Attractions (MCC 7991–7999)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
7991	Tourist Attractions	2–3x points	Museums, theme parks, landmarks; some travel cards reward
7992	Miniature Golf	1x	Mini golf, bowling; low reward rate
7993	Video Arcades	1x	Game arcades; often blocked due to youth concern
7994	Video Game Centers	1x	Gaming centers; fraud-flagged with youth
7995	Gambling	0x or blocked	Casinos, card rooms; high fraud flag
7996	Swimming Pools	1x	Public pools, water parks; niche
7997	Amusement Parks	1–2x points	Theme parks; some travel cards include
7998	Nightclubs & Discos	0x or blocked	After-hours venue; fraud-flagged, chargeback risk
7999	Recreation Services	1x	General recreation; catch-all category

Fraud Alert: MCCs 7995, 7998, and 7994 are high-fraud-flagged. Even legitimate charges might be blocked abroad. Pre-trip notification to your bank is essential if you plan to use these MCCs.

Professional Services & Miscellaneous (MCC 8000+)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
8011	Doctors	1x	Medical clinics, physicians; no travel card bonus
8021	Dentists	1x	Dental work; deductible for medical reimbursement accounts (HSA/FSA)
8220	Colleges & Universities	0.5–1x	Tuition, student services; rarely rewarded
8244	Business & Secretarial Schools	1x	Coding bootcamps, professional development
8299	Educational Services (misc)	1x	Online courses, training; some business cards reward
8398	Business Consulting	1–2x points	Consulting firms, tax prep; business spending

Note: Education and professional services rarely earn high rewards even on "travel" cards. Many executives who pay for business training or conferences find they earn 1x instead of expected 3x.

Travel-Adjacent Services (MCC 4700–4799)

Code	Merchant Type	Typical Rewards	Notes
4711	Ticket Agencies	3x points	Movie, concert, event tickets (not flights)
4721	Travel Agencies	3x points	TravelAgencies, tour operators; often 3x on travel cards
4722	Travel Agencies (alt)	3x points	Some systems split into two codes
4789	Other Ground Transport Services	2–3x points	Bus lines, shuttle services, parking
4790	Transportation Services (misc)	1–2x points	Parking, tolls, transport; catch-all

Overlooked: Many international travelers book through travel agencies instead of directly with airlines/hotels. MCC 4721 often earns 3x (same as direct), but some cards exclude it. Check your card's T&C.

Quick Lookup: Am I Earning What I Should?

Scenario 1: Prague Restaurant Booking

• You book dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant
• Card offers 4x dining bonus
• Check: Receipt should show MCC 5812
• If MCC shows 5499/5814: Dispute it

Scenario 2: European Train Ticket

• You buy a first-class train ticket in Switzerland
• Card offers 3x travel bonus (airlines only)
• Check: MCC will be 4112 (railways)
• Reality: Only 1x on 4112 if not bundled
• Learn: Your card doesn't cover trains; use dining card for meals instead

Scenario 3: London Gas Station

• You refuel your rental car
• Card offers 3x gas rewards
• Check: MCC should be 5541
• If MCC shows 5542/5500: Different code, possibly 1x rewards
• Action: Note for next gas station; try to use 5541 merchants only

---

Key Takeaway

MCCs are granular. A hotel (3500) is different from a casino-hotel (7011). A restaurant (5812) is different from fast food (5814). Most travelers don't know these distinctions and leave money on the table. Familiarize yourself with the MCCs for your frequent spending categories (airline 4011, hotel 3500, restaurant 5812, car rental 3700). Check the MCC on your receipt after every major purchase abroad. If it's wrong, dispute it before the 60-day window closes.

---

Your Next Step

Print or screenshot this MCC reference table and save it to your phone. Before your next trip, identify the 10–15 merchants you'll visit most (specific hotel chains, airlines, restaurants, gas stations). Look up their MCCs online or in your past statements. Note which MCCs earn your highest rewards. Plan your payment strategy: use your travel card for MCC 4011/3500 (airlines/hotels), dining card for MCC 5812 (restaurants), cash-back card for MCC 5411/5499 (grocery/misc). This simple homework prevents 80% of reward losses.