Employment Agencies & Temporary Help Services.
Recruitment, staffing and temporary employment.
- MCC
- 7361
- Category
- Business Services
- Cardflo support
- Yes
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.
Employment agencies should configure payment acceptance to handle both high-value one-off placement fees and recurring payments for temporary staff. Given the potential for disputes over service delivery, robust contract management and proof of service are paramount.
Consider a multi-acquirer setup to optimise successful transactions and use a gateway that supports detailed invoice referencing. Tokenisation for recurring payments reduces PCI DSS scope and enhances security.
Be prepared for potential reserve requirements, as your acquirer partners will scrutinise the high average transaction values and the nature of service delivery in recruitment.
Acquirer and acquirer assessment 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.
Dispute and chargeback profile.
The most common chargeback reason codes are 13.1 / 4853 (services not as described) and 13.7 / 4808 (credit not processed).
'Services not as described' typically arises if a placed candidate leaves prematurely or is deemed unsuitable, while 'credit not processed' occurs if a refund is expected but not received for a failed placement.
To counter these, provide comprehensive contracts outlining guarantee periods, robust evidence of candidate suitability and CVs, and written correspondence regarding placements. For 'credit not processed', supply proof of refund processing or a clear explanation of why a refund was not due per agreed terms.
See also: chargeback management · payment response codes · Compelling Evidence 3.0.
Book a scoping call to see how Cardflo would set you up.
How Cardflo handles MCC 7361
- Placement 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.
- Dedicated onboarding manager experienced with B2B and corporate merchants.
Payment methods typically enabled.
Onboarding checklist.
What acquirers typically ask to see when boarding MCC 7361. Cardflo collects this once and reuses it across every acquirer we route you through.
- Business registration and beneficial-owner documentation (KYB, UBO).
- Six months of processing statements or bank statements demonstrating B2B volume.
- Standard master services agreement or engagement letter template.
- Level 2 / Level 3 data capability evidence for commercial-card processing.
- Refund, cancellation and dispute-handling policy for recurring or retainer billing.
- Chargeback ratio and dispute history covering the last six months, including any Visa or Mastercard monitoring-programme status.
See also: Know Your Customer (KYC) · high-risk merchant · smart routing.
Talk to an acquiring specialist about your MID setup.
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.
How should I structure my payment process for high-value executive placements to minimise disputes?
For high-value executive placements, consider a structured payment schedule tied to key milestones, rather than a single upfront charge. This might involve an initial engagement fee, a second payment upon candidate shortlisting, and a final payment upon successful placement.
Ensure each stage has explicit client sign-off or contractual agreement. This approach reduces the financial impact of a single dispute and aligns payment with service delivery.
Always obtain written acceptance of the successful placement from the client and include clear clauses in your contracts regarding replacement guarantees or pro-rata refunds, should a placement fail.
We provide temporary staffing. How can we best manage recurring payments and subsequent chargebacks if a client disputes hours billed?
For temporary staffing, utilise a robust recurring billing system that allows for flexible invoicing based on actual hours worked. Ensure clear time-tracking records, approved by the client, are digitised and readily accessible.
When a client disputes hours billed, promptly provide copies of signed timesheets or digital approvals. For recurring payments, tokenise card details for security and use a system that sends pre-notification emails before each charge, giving the client an opportunity to query.
Clear, detailed invoices with a breakdown of hours and rates are crucial for defending against 'services not as described' or 'billing error' disputes.
Other MCCs in Business Services
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