Employment Agencies & Temporary Help Services
Recruitment, staffing and temporary employment.
What MCC 7361 covers
Merchant Category Code 7361 is the ISO 18245 identifier used by the card networks for employment agencies & temporary help services. Acquirers, issuers and regulators use this code to set interchange, scheme fees, fraud rules and reporting categories for every transaction your business processes.
Recruitment, staffing and temporary employment. 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 7361 covers employment agencies and temporary help services. These are primarily B2B merchants facilitating staffing, recruitment, and placement services for businesses across various industries.
Services range from short-term temporary placements to executive search and permanent recruitment. Ticket sizes are often substantial, based on a percentage of the placed employee's salary or an hourly rate for temporary staff, with values ranging from hundreds to many thousands of pounds.
Payments can be one-off for direct placements or recurring weekly/monthly for temporary staffing.
Chargebacks are generally low but can occur if a placement fails shortly after commencement, or if there are disputes over billing accuracy or contract terms. 'Services Not as Described' or 'Credit Not Processed' if a refund is expected but not received are potential reasons.
No specific scheme programmes. Cardflo's robust fraud prevention tools and comprehensive KYB onboarding are vital for these merchants, given the high-value nature of many transactions and the importance of verifying business legitimacy.
Acquirer & underwriting stance
Medium-risk standard board with monitoring. High-value transactions increase fraud potential, and disputes can be costly.
Expect standard underwriting with active monitoring of transaction patterns.
How Cardflo handles MCC 7361
- Underwriting with acquirers that actively board MCC 7361 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 specific fraud risks are associated with high-value B2B payments in employment agencies, and how can they be mitigated?
High-value B2B payments in recruitment (e. g.
, for executive search fees) are susceptible to business email compromise (BEC) fraud, where fraudsters impersonate legitimate businesses to divert payments. Mitigation strategies include strong client authentication before processing payments, verifying payment instructions through secondary channels (e.
g. , a phone call to a known contact), and using secure payment portals.
Cardflo's fraud monitoring solution helps detect anomalous transaction patterns that indicate potential fraud, such as unusual payment destinations or amounts.
How can employment agencies effectively manage recurring weekly payroll for temporary staff paid through client billing?
Employment agencies can leverage Cardflo's recurring billing and invoicing platform, which supports complex billing schedules. This allows for automated generation of invoices to clients based on timesheets, and then processing of payments using stored 'card-on-file' details or Direct Debits.
Features like dunning management are essential to minimise payment failures for ongoing payroll financing.
What types of evidence are crucial for employment agencies to dispute 'Services Not as Described' chargebacks, especially if a placed candidate doesn't work out?
Providing signed contracts outlining service guarantees (e. g.
, replacement windows, refund policies), proof of candidate submission, interview records, and client acceptance of a candidate are essential. Any communication regarding post-placement issues and attempts at resolution or replacement are also vital.
Comprehensive documentation of the recruitment process, facilitated by Cardflo's chargeback tooling, significantly strengthens the representment case.
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