📇Understanding Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) and How They Work with Your Pemo Cards

Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) are an important part of how Pemo helps you stay in control of company spending. They might sound technical, but we’ve made them simple to use — so you can set clear rules for your Pemo cards without needing to dive into every detail.

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is an MCC?

A Merchant Category Code (MCC) is a four-digit number assigned by card networks (like Visa & Mastercard) to classify the type of business where a transaction takes place.

For example:

• Clothing store = MCC 5691

• Gas station = MCC 5542

• Restaurant = MCC 5812

These codes help banks and payment processors identify what kind of goods or services were purchased — and we use them at Pemo to help you set card-level controls.

How MCCs Are Used at Pemo

At Pemo, we’ve taken the complexity of Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) and turned them into something incredibly useful — smart card controls that help you stay in charge of business spending, without needing to be a finance expert. With over 100 MCCs grouped into 18 common spend categories, you can:

🔒 Block or allow specific spend categories

Want to prevent cash withdrawals? Or block all entertainment-related purchases on a team card? No problem. With Pemo, you can turn spend categories on or off in seconds.

For example:

• Disable ATM withdrawals

• Block restaurants or food delivery

• Limit cards to only fuel and/or airline expenses

This means your company cards only work where you want them to — and nowhere else.

🧑‍💼 Set different card rules by team, role, or individual

Every team has different needs. Sales might need to book flights, while Operations only needs to pay suppliers.

With Pemo:

• You can assign custom card rules per team, role, or even individual

• Spend is kept relevant — and controlled — without slowing anyone down

Example: Give your warehouse manager a card that works only at supermarkets and fuel stations — and restrict everything else.

🧠 No manual coding required

We’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

Pemo groups over 100+ MCCs into 18 clear, business-relevant categories — so you don’t need to memorize codes or look anything up. You just choose the categories you want to allow or block, and we handle the rest.

Everything is managed from your Advanced Card Controls tab — it’s fast, simple, and tailored to your business. Learn more about Advanced card Controls below 👇

ℹ️About your card spending limits

What spend categories can you manage?

Pemo allows you to control spend across 18 predefined categories, including:

Category	Examples of What It Covers
Airlines	Flights, air travel
Hotels	Lodging, accommodation
Restaurants	Dining, food delivery
Fuel	Petrol, gas stations
Supermarkets & Groceries	Food shopping
Retail Outlets	Clothing, electronics, general stores
Software & SaaS	Subscription tools, online platforms
Business & Advertising	Marketing, consulting services
Government & Utilities	Bill payments, government fees
Transportation	Taxis, buses, delivery services
Car Rentals	Rental services
Entertainment	Events, movies, concerts
ATM Withdrawals	Cash transactions
Repair Services	Auto repairs, equipment maintenance
Services	Medical, educational, cleaning etc.
Other	Unclassified merchants

💡 Need to block team lunches or set a card for fuel only? Just toggle the category in your card settings. See how here

Do MCCs vary between card networks?

Yes — MCCs are assigned by card networks, and unfortunately, they’re not always 100% consistent across Visa, Mastercard, and others. At Pemo, we handle this complexity for you by grouping MCCs into clear, easy-to-manage categories.

Why this matters

Merchant Category Codes help ensure:

• Transactions are correctly identified

• Card rules are applied in real time

• You have visibility and control over every dirham spent

By using MCCs behind the scenes, Pemo lets you set spending limits that actually work — without micromanaging every purchase.