# MCC (merchant category code)

> A merchant category code is a four-digit number from ISO 18245 classifying a merchant's line of business — 5812 for restaurants, 5411 for grocers. In payment QR codes it appears as the mc= parameter in UPI payloads and as tag 52 in EMVCo merchant-presented codes.

Source: https://useqr.app/glossary/mcc · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

---

## Where it sits in a QR payload

Card networks invented MCCs to classify transactions, and payment QR standards inherited
them. In a [UPI](/upi-qr-code) payload the code rides as a query parameter:

```
upi://pay?pa=shop@upi&pn=Corner%20Store&mc=5411
```

In an [EMVCo merchant-presented](/glossary/emvco-qr) payload — the format behind
[PIX](/pix-qr-code), PromptPay and BharatQR — it is **tag 52**, one of the mandatory data
objects alongside the merchant name and currency. Common values: **5812** eating places,
**5411** grocery stores, **5912** pharmacies, **4121** taxis; **0000** appears where no
registered category applies, typically person-to-person codes.

## Why the number matters

The MCC is not decoration — acquirers and apps use it for interchange pricing, transaction
limits, cashback and rewards eligibility, tax reporting, and risk rules. A shop encoded
with a wrong MCC can see payments declined by apps that block that category, or lose
customers whose cards exclude it from rewards. When a payment provider issues your QR
payload, the MCC inside was set at merchant onboarding; if you build the
[payload](/glossary/payload) yourself for a personal code, omitting `mc=` (or using 0000)
is the honest choice. Static personal codes and their trade-offs are covered in
[static vs dynamic UPI QR](/docs/payments/static-vs-dynamic-upi-qr).

## FAQ

### What is mc in a UPI QR code?
The merchant category code — a four-digit ISO 18245 value describing the merchant's business type. Payment apps read it for limits, rewards and reporting. Personal codes usually omit it or carry 0000.

### Do I need an MCC for my payment QR code?
Only if you are a registered merchant, and then your provider assigns it. A person accepting transfers does not need one; an incorrect self-assigned MCC causes more problems than a missing one.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/upi
- https://useqr.app/pix
- https://useqr.app/validate