High-risk MCC codes list (UK)
An MCC (Merchant Category Code) is the four-digit ISO 18245 code the card schemes use to classify what a business sells; your acquirer assigns it, and it partly drives your pricing and whether you are underwritten as high-risk. Codes commonly treated as high-risk in the UK include 7995 (gambling), 6211 (forex and investment), 6051 (crypto and money services), 5967 and 5966 (telemarketing), 5962 (travel), 5968 (subscription), 7273 (dating) and 5912 or 5122 (pharmacy and drugs). If your activity maps to one of these, mainstream acquirers often decline and you need a specialist high-risk acquirer.
Is my business high-risk?
Filter the table by what you sell, or pick your category to see the likely MCC and risk level.
| MCC | Category | Risk | Why it is high-risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7995 | Betting, casino gaming, lottery and wagers | High | Highest fraud and chargeback profile; scheme-specific processing rules and a Gambling Commission licence required. |
| 5967 | Direct marketing, inbound teleservices | High | Associated with adult and subscription telemarketing; elevated chargebacks. |
| 5966 | Direct marketing, outbound telemarketing | High | Cold-sale model drives disputes and refund exposure. |
| 5962 | Direct marketing, travel arrangement services | High | Long delivery lag between payment and travel raises chargeback and insolvency risk. |
| 5968 | Direct marketing, continuity and subscription | High | Recurring billing and free-trial models generate high dispute volumes. |
| 6051 | Non-financial institutions, foreign currency, money orders, crypto | High | Money-service and crypto-adjacent activity carries AML scrutiny and volatility risk. |
| 6211 | Security brokers and dealers | High | Covers forex, CFDs and investment services; regulatory and chargeback exposure. |
| 7273 | Dating and escort services | High | Adult-adjacent; high chargeback and reputational risk. |
| 5912 | Drug stores and pharmacies | Elevated | Prescription and healthcare goods; MHRA and GPhC scrutiny, higher for online. |
| 5122 | Drugs, drug proprietors and druggist sundries | Elevated | Wholesale pharma and supplements; category and compliance risk. |
| 5993 | Cigar stores and stands | Elevated | Tobacco and nicotine adjacency; many acquirers decline on category. |
| 5921 | Package stores, beer, wine and liquor | Elevated | Age-restricted goods; delivery and age-verification exposure. |
| 5933 | Pawn shops | High | Cash-adjacent, high-value goods and AML scrutiny. |
| 4816 | Computer network and information services | Elevated | Catch-all used for tech-support, IPTV and digital services with dispute risk. |
| 4899 | Cable, satellite and other pay-TV and radio | Elevated | Used for IPTV and streaming resale; content-rights and chargeback exposure. |
| 5816 | Digital goods, games | Elevated | Instant-delivery digital goods draw friendly-fraud chargebacks. |
| 7841 | Video and adult content rental | High | Legacy adult-content code; highest-scrutiny underwriting. |
| 5972 | Stamp and coin stores | Elevated | High-value collectibles with resale and fraud risk. |
| 5999 | Miscellaneous and specialty retail | Elevated | Catch-all often assigned to CBD, supplements and novel products acquirers scrutinise. |
| 7994 | Video game arcades and establishments | Elevated | Gaming adjacency; used for some esports and gaming merchants. |
Codes follow ISO 18245 / Visa Merchant Data Standards. Your assigned MCC is set by your acquirer and can differ from the closest description here. Reference data, reviewed 16 July 2026.
Mapped to a high-risk code? Get placed properly
If your activity maps to a high-risk MCC, mainstream acquirers will keep declining. As a broker we match you to a specialist acquirer that underwrites your category, disclose the risk classification and reserve upfront, and stay on as your named UK account team. The acquirer pays our commission on signup, so it costs you nothing on top.
Get matched to a specialist acquirer →Frequently asked questions
What is an MCC code?
A Merchant Category Code is a four-digit ISO 18245 number the card schemes (Visa, Mastercard) use to classify what a merchant sells. Your acquirer assigns it during onboarding. It affects your interchange, your rewards eligibility and, crucially for high-risk trades, whether an acquirer will underwrite you at all.
Which MCC codes are high-risk?
Codes most often treated as high-risk in the UK include 7995 (gambling), 6211 (securities, forex and investment), 6051 (crypto and money services), 5966 and 5967 (telemarketing), 5962 (travel), 5968 (subscription), 7273 (dating and escort) and 7841 (adult content). Pharmacy and drug codes 5912 and 5122, and the catch-all 5999 often used for CBD, sit at elevated risk.
Can I choose my own MCC?
No. The acquirer assigns your MCC based on your primary business activity, following the scheme rules. You can query a code you believe is wrong, but you cannot pick a lower-risk code to avoid high-risk underwriting; doing so deliberately (miscoding) breaches scheme rules and risks termination and MATCH listing.
My business maps to a high-risk MCC, what does that mean?
It means mainstream acquirers (SumUp, Square, Stripe, Dojo) may decline or terminate on category, and you need a specialist high-risk acquirer that underwrites the code. Expect a higher blended rate and a rolling reserve. The route back to processing is being matched to an acquirer that genuinely underwrites your category, with the risk disclosed upfront.
Is a high MCC risk the same as being on the MATCH list?
No. A high-risk MCC is a category classification; the MATCH (Member Alert to Control High-risk) list, also called the TMF, is a record of merchants terminated by an acquirer. You can be high-risk without being MATCH-listed, but a string of cold declines or a termination can lead to listing. See our MATCH/TMF guide.
Related
See the full high-risk merchant guide, the best high-risk providers, or the MATCH/TMF list explained.
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, MerchantHQ
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind MerchantHQ. His career runs through insurance, mortgages, commercial finance and fintech lending, including payments and merchant services. He writes the MerchantHQ library.
Last reviewed: 16 July 2026