What Is the MCC Code for Supplements?

MCC stands for merchant category code. For supplements, the code is 5499. When discussing an account with a prospective processor, identify your business as a supplement seller and describe what you actually sell. The code is a classification, not a substitute for reviewing your products, website, sales practices, and billing model.

A supplement merchant should not assume that knowing the code resolves account eligibility. Dietary supplements attract scrutiny around health claims, while recurring orders can create subscription disputes. Those issues explain why a business using MCC 5499 may still need a partner processor that supports supplement merchants and their particular sales model.

Use the MCC discussion as an opportunity to clarify your product catalog and how customers purchase from you. Explain whether orders are individual purchases or subscriptions, and provide product labels. Accurate descriptions help the partner processor assess the business without relying on a category code that cannot communicate every underwriting concern.

Health claims are a central underwriting concern for supplement sellers. Present product descriptions and labels consistently so reviewers can understand what customers are being told. Avoid presenting the MCC as evidence that a product or claim has been accepted. Category assignment and review of the actual business are separate matters.

Subscriptions add another area for review because customers may dispute recurring charges. Make refund and subscription terms easy to find before purchase, and explain how customers can cancel. A clear description of the billing arrangement helps reviewers understand the offer and gives customers a better basis for recognizing subsequent charges.

Do not assume a mainstream payment platform accepts supplements simply because you can begin account setup. Stripe and Square identify supplements as prohibited under their published policies. Review each company's published policy before relying on its service, and disclose your products directly when discussing alternatives with prospective partner processors during account evaluation.

Prepare a merchant application, government ID for owners with at least 25% ownership, a voided business check, and your EIN letter or formation documents. Keep business and ownership information consistent across the application and supporting materials. These records help establish who operates the supplement business and which business account will receive funds.

Include three to six months of business bank statements and, if available, three to six months of prior processing statements. Existing processing records give reviewers context for your payment activity. If you have no processing history, say so clearly rather than implying that your supplement business has an established card-payment record.

Your website should include refund, terms, and privacy policies. Supply product labels and refund and subscription terms as part of the application package. Review these materials together before submission: the offer on a product page should align with the label, checkout experience, and explanation of any recurring billing a customer accepts.

The typical market range for supplement processing is 3.0%–5.0% plus $0.25–$0.30 per transaction. This is a general market range, not a quote or an offer from HighRiskMerchantProcessors.com. Ask prospective partner processors to explain their proposed pricing in writing so you can evaluate the actual terms offered to your supplement business.

A 5–10% rolling reserve is a typical market range for supplement accounts, with the reserve set by the acquiring bank. Do not treat that range as a requirement or promise for your application. Ask how any proposed reserve would operate and affect access to funds before deciding whether to proceed.

HighRiskMerchantProcessors.com matches supplement merchants with high-risk payment processors in the MerchantCardLeads partner network. The site is not a processor, acquiring bank, or underwriter. Partner processors and acquiring banks in the network evaluate applications and account terms. Matching helps you explore a suitable processing relationship; it does not establish acceptance or final pricing.