What Is the MCC Code for Nutraceuticals?

MCC 5499 and MCC 5122 are possible classifications for nutraceutical businesses, but neither should be treated as a universal answer. The appropriate classification depends on the business being reviewed. Give the prospective partner processor a clear description of your products and sales model, then ask it to confirm classification with the acquiring bank.

Your application should describe what customers actually purchase, not simply label the company as a wellness brand. Provide product labels and ingredient lists alongside your website. This gives the reviewer concrete information to consider when assessing the business and avoids relying on a broad industry term to explain your nutraceutical offerings.

If you already process payments, include your prior processing statements and ask whether the proposed classification matches your current business. An existing MCC is useful context, not a reason to omit product details. Do not change your business description merely to seek a different code; present your actual products and billing practices accurately.

Free-trial and continuity offers, health claims, and high refund rates drive chargebacks in nutraceuticals, so acquiring banks watch this vertical closely. The MCC is only part of that review. How you advertise a product, explain charges, and handle cancellations gives the acquiring bank additional context about the payment experience customers encounter.

For a continuity offer, make the billing arrangement easy to understand before a customer purchases. Present the cancellation process clearly and provide screenshots with your application. A reviewer should be able to follow how a customer moves from the initial offer to subsequent billing without having to infer important details from scattered pages.

For health-related marketing, submit the actual product pages and labels customers see. Avoid presenting a simplified version of the business that leaves out claims, trial offers, or recurring purchases. Clear disclosure helps partner processors assess fit, but it does not replace the acquiring bank’s review or establish that an account will be approved.

Prepare a merchant application, government ID for owners with a 25% or greater stake, and a voided business check. Include your EIN letter or formation documents. These materials should describe the same business consistently, so review names and ownership information before submission rather than leaving discrepancies for the reviewer to resolve.

Supply three to six months of business bank statements and, if available, three to six months of prior processing statements. For a nutraceutical seller, these records accompany the product and billing information rather than replace it. If you have no processing history, say so clearly instead of leaving the reviewer to guess.

Your website should include refund, terms, and privacy policies. Also prepare product labels, an ingredient list, and screenshots of your billing descriptor and cancellation flow. Review these materials together: the offer on a product page should be understandable alongside the billing explanation, refund policy, and instructions a customer uses to cancel.

Stripe and Square prohibit nutraceuticals under their published policies. Consult each company’s published policy when checking whether your specific products are supported. Choosing MCC 5499 or 5122 does not establish platform eligibility. A classification question and a provider’s willingness to support the underlying business are separate issues to address before moving forward.

For nutraceutical processing, the typical market rate range is 3.5%–5.5% plus $0.25–$0.30 per transaction. A 5–10% rolling reserve is also a typical market range, set by the acquiring bank. These ranges are not quotes or promised terms. Ask the prospective partner processor to explain the actual proposal and reserve requirements before accepting.

HighRiskMerchantProcessors.com matches merchants with high-risk payment processors in the MerchantCardLeads partner network; it is not a processor, acquiring bank, or underwriter. Share your nutraceutical products and billing model when seeking a match. Partner processors can evaluate fit, while underwriters at the acquiring bank assess the application and determine whether to approve it.