Drug Stores & Pharmacies
Pharmacy and drugstore retailers.
What MCC 5912 covers
Merchant Category Code 5912 is the ISO 18245 identifier used by the card networks for drug stores & pharmacies. Acquirers, issuers and regulators use this code to set interchange, scheme fees, fraud rules and reporting categories for every transaction your business processes.
Pharmacy and drugstore retailers. Choosing the right MCC is critical: an incorrect code can lead to higher interchange, surcharges, or, in regulated categories, declined transactions and account holds.
MCC 5912 covers pharmacies and drugstores, including community pharmacies, prescription fulfillment services, and over-the-counter medication retailers. Transaction sizes are generally low to medium, with frequent purchases for recurring prescriptions or daily health needs.
Merchants might see spikes during seasonal illness.
Chargebacks are relatively low if prescriptions are accurately dispensed and customer service is good. Disputes often relate to non-receipt of goods, incorrect medication, or prescription fraud.
Card-not-present fraud can be a concern for online pharmacies, especially with high-value or controlled substances.
Scheme rules may involve specific monitoring programmes for pharmacies due to the nature of their products, particularly for online sales of certain medications.
Cardflo's robust KYB onboarding for regulated industries and its advanced fraud prevention tools help to mitigate risks associated with CNP transactions, ensuring compliance and secure processing.
Acquirer & underwriting stance
Medium-risk standard board with monitoring for online operations. Physical pharmacies are generally low-risk.
Online pharmacies may require a rolling reserve, typically 5-10% for 120-180 days, due to higher fraud potential and regulatory scrutiny.
How Cardflo handles MCC 5912
- Underwriting with acquirers that actively board MCC 5912 businesses in your region.
- MCC review during onboarding to confirm the right code for your products.
- Reclassification support if scheme rules or product mix change post-launch.
- Multi-acquirer routing to keep approvals stable for broad merchant categories.
- Dispute support tuned to the mixed-product chargeback profile this MCC sees.
Payment methods typically enabled
Common questions
What specific compliance requirements apply to online pharmacies under MCC 5912?
Online pharmacies face stringent regulations, including robust age and identity verification, prescription validation, and adherence to varying national and international pharmaceutical laws. Schemes like Visa and Mastercard may have specific programmes for monitoring high-risk pharmaceutical sales, requiring enhanced data submission and fraud controls.
Failure to comply can lead to fines and programme non-compliance fees.
Are there any specific billing descriptor requirements for pharmacies?
Yes, clear and descriptive billing descriptors are crucial for pharmacies to minimise chargebacks from customers who may not recognise transactions. It is beneficial to include the pharmacy's name and a clear description of the purchase (e.
g. , 'Rx Refill - [Pharmacy Name]').
This can help reduce 'friendly fraud' or 'I don't recognise this transaction' disputes.
How does Cardflo help mitigate chargebacks for online pharmacies?
Cardflo provides advanced chargeback management tools and can help implement 3D Secure 2. 0 to authenticate card-not-present transactions, shifting liability for certain fraud types.
Our KYB process also ensures thorough vetting of pharmacy merchants to comply with regulatory standards, reducing overall risk and potential for scheme interventions.
Other MCCs in Miscellaneous Stores
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