MCC 5817: Digital Goods (Applications, Excluding Games)
MCC 5817 is the merchant category code for digital goods (applications, excluding games). Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express assign it to businesses such as app developers, software downloads, and plugins.
- Code
- 5817
- Category group
- Miscellaneous Stores
- Risk rating
- Standard risk
Which businesses use MCC 5817?
Acquiring banks assign MCC 5817 to merchants whose primary line of business is digital goods (applications, excluding games). Common examples include:
- App developers
- Software downloads
- Plugins
Is MCC 5817 considered high risk?
Most acquirers approve this MCC with standard underwriting, no rolling reserve, and access to the lowest interchange categories.
How does MCC 5817 affect processing fees?
MCC 5817 determines which interchange category Visa and Mastercard apply to each transaction. Codes in the miscellaneous stores range share interchange programs, so two merchants with the same card mix but different MCCs can pay different wholesale rates.
Payment processing for MCC 5817 merchants
Niche Payments runs a dedicated ecommerce payment processing program for businesses classified under MCC 5817. Card-not-present processing that scales with your store.
- Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and custom checkout integrations
- Subscription and recurring billing with smart retries
- Chargeback alerts and 3-D Secure to protect card-not-present sales
Frequently asked questions
What does MCC 5817 mean?
MCC 5817 is the merchant category code for Digital Goods (Applications, Excluding Games). Card networks use it to classify transactions from businesses such as app developers, software downloads, and plugins.
Is MCC 5817 high risk?
MCC 5817 is generally rated standard risk. Most acquirers approve this MCC with standard underwriting, no rolling reserve, and access to the lowest interchange categories.
Can a business change its MCC from 5817?
A business can request a different MCC through its acquiring bank. The acquirer reviews what the business actually sells and reassigns the code only if 5817 does not describe the primary line of business.