Beauty & Barber Shops
Hair salons, barber shops and beauty services.
What MCC 7230 covers
Merchant Category Code 7230 is the ISO 18245 identifier used by the card networks for beauty & barber shops. Acquirers, issuers and regulators use this code to set interchange, scheme fees, fraud rules and reporting categories for every transaction your business processes.
Hair salons, barber shops and beauty services. 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 7230 identifies beauty and barber shops, encompassing hair salons, barbers, nail salons, and other personal grooming services. These merchants generally have low to medium ticket sizes per visit and high transaction frequency, often driven by repeat local clientele.
Many studios offer products alongside services.
Chargebacks are rare but can occur due to 'services not as described' (e. g.
, dissatisfaction with a haircut or treatment), 'unauthorised transaction' (if card details are stored or accidentally re-used), or 'services not received' (e. g.
, no-shows charged a cancellation fee). Customer service issues are often the root cause.
Schemes have no specific programmes for this MCC. Cardflo supports these businesses with reliable payment terminals for in-store transactions, robust fraud screening for online bookings and stored card details, and a streamlined chargeback management process to handle rare service-related disputes.
Acquirer & underwriting stance
Low-risk standard board. This merchant type presents stable, predictable revenue with minimal fraud risk.
Standard rolling reserves are typically applied, and no specific high-risk monitoring is generally required.
How Cardflo handles MCC 7230
- Underwriting with acquirers that actively board MCC 7230 businesses in your region.
- B2B card-not-present processing with Level 2 and Level 3 data support.
- Virtual-card, AP-automation and procurement-card acceptance.
- Invoice-linked payment flows and pay-by-link options for receivables teams.
- Settlement and reconciliation that maps cleanly to ERP and accounting systems.
Payment methods typically enabled
Common questions
What are common reasons for chargebacks in beauty and barber shops?
The most common chargeback reason in MCC 7230 is 'services not as described', occurring when customers are dissatisfied with treatment outcomes (e. g.
, haircut, colour, nail service). 'Unrecognised transaction' disputes can also arise if a booking deposit or cancellation fee is charged and the customer disputes it.
How can salons manage appointment no-shows and cancellation fees to avoid chargebacks?
To minimise chargebacks related to no-show or cancellation fees, salons should clearly communicate their policy at the time of booking, obtain explicit customer consent (e. g.
, via digital checkbox) to charge a fee, and send reminders. Capturing card details as a guarantee, rather than pre-charging, and providing solid proof of their booking and policy in case of a dispute, is best practice.
Can beauty salons benefit from recurring billing for services or memberships?
Yes, beauty salons can benefit from recurring billing for services like monthly memberships, treatment packages, or product subscriptions. This generates predictable revenue.
Cardflo's subscription billing tools can manage these recurring payments automatically, reducing administrative burden and helping maintain customer loyalty.
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