Artist's Supply & Craft Shops
Retail of fine-art and craft supplies.
What MCC 5970 covers
Merchant Category Code 5970 is the ISO 18245 identifier used by the card networks for artist's supply & craft shops. Acquirers, issuers and regulators use this code to set interchange, scheme fees, fraud rules and reporting categories for every transaction your business processes.
Retail of fine-art and craft supplies. 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 5970 encompasses Artist's Supply and Craft Shops, retailing materials for fine art, crafts, and hobbies. These merchants typically serve individual consumers or small businesses, offering paints, canvases, fabrics, tools, and other creative supplies.
Transaction sizes are usually modest to medium, with purchase frequency varying from occasional hobbyists to regular professional artists. Sales might see peaks around holidays or specific art/crafting trends.
Chargebacks are generally low for this MCC. Common reasons, when they occur, include 'merchandise not received' or 'damaged goods' during shipping.
'Not as described' might infrequently occur if product photos or descriptions are inaccurate. Fraud rates are usually low, fitting within standard industry benchmarks due to the nature of the goods being less appealing to fraudsters for resale.
Cardflo provides reliable and secure payment processing for these businesses, ensuring seamless online and in-store transactions. Our platform's straightforward integration with popular e-commerce platforms and POS systems helps craft shops manage their sales efficiently and maintain a professional checkout experience.
Acquirer & underwriting stance
Low-risk standard board. No specific reserve requirements are typically applied.
Standard fraud monitoring is sufficient for this MCC.
How Cardflo handles MCC 5970
- Underwriting with acquirers that actively board MCC 5970 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 payment security measures are most important for small craft shops under MCC 5970 operating online?
For online craft shops, PCI DSS compliance is paramount to protect cardholder data. Implementing robust encryption (SSL/TLS), using a secure payment gateway like Cardflo, and enabling 3D Secure 2 for transactions are essential.
Additionally, ensuring their e-commerce platform is regularly updated and patched protects against vulnerabilities. These measures minimise the risk of data breaches and fraudulent transactions.
Are there specific tips for MCC 5970 merchants to handle customer disputes regarding 'merchandise not as described' for art supplies?
To prevent 'merchandise not as described' disputes, merchants should provide highly accurate product descriptions, use high-resolution photographs that truly represent colours and textures, and include dimensions where relevant.
For items like paints or fabrics, a disclaimer about potential colour variations due to screen settings can be helpful. During a dispute, compelling evidence includes product descriptions, photos, and any customer correspondence where product details were clarified.
How can MCC 5970 merchants efficiently manage combined online and in-store sales reporting?
Efficient management of combined sales requires a payment solution that integrates seamlessly with both their e-commerce platform and their Point of Sale (POS) system. Cardflo’s unified reporting capabilities allow merchants to view all transactions – online and in-store – through a single dashboard.
This centralisation simplifies reconciliation, inventory management, and financial analysis, providing a comprehensive overview of business performance.
Other MCCs in Miscellaneous Stores
Ready for velocity?
Tell us about your business. We'll match you with the right acquiring partners and the right route, typically inside a week.