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 👇
What spend categories can you manage?
Pemo allows you to control spend across 18 predefined categories, including:
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
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.
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