MCC 7349: Cleaning and maintenance, janitorial services

What is MCC 7349? Learn its impact on your business and how to check your code. Get JIM on iOS/Android to take phone payments for a low 1.99% fee.

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Mar 25, 2026

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2 min read time

MCC 7349 is the merchant category code for Cleaning and Maintenance, Janitorial Services, as designated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This code applies to businesses that provide cleaning services for commercial and residential properties. Transactions covered include general office cleaning, window washing, floor waxing, and other janitorial or maintenance duties. It helps classify payments made to companies specializing in property upkeep and sanitation.

Which businesses fall under MCC 7349?

MCC 7349 applies to a broad range of cleaning service establishments:

Commercial Janitorial Services: These companies provide routine cleaning for offices, retail spaces, and other business properties. Examples include national franchises like Jani-King or ServiceMaster Clean that service corporate buildings and facilities.
Residential Maid Services: This category covers businesses that offer scheduled house cleaning for homeowners and renters. Well-known providers like Merry Maids and The Maids handle regular domestic upkeep for their clients.
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners: These specialists focus on deep cleaning for carpets, rugs, and furniture in both homes and businesses. Companies such as Stanley Steemer and COIT are prominent examples in this sector.
Window Washing Companies: Businesses in this niche specialize in cleaning interior and exterior windows for commercial and residential buildings. This includes local providers as well as larger chains like Fish Window Cleaning.
Floor Care Specialists: This group includes contractors who strip, wax, and polish various types of flooring, often in commercial settings like supermarkets or hospitals. They restore and maintain floor surfaces for durability and appearance.
Pressure Washing Services: These businesses use high-pressure water spray to remove dirt, grime, and mold from exterior surfaces like building facades and decks. Many local, independent contractors operate in this space.
Swimming Pool Maintenance: This includes companies that provide regular cleaning, chemical balancing, and equipment checks for residential and commercial pools. Chains like Pinch a Penny Pool Patio and Spa fit this classification.

Business implications of MCC 7349

Payment networks including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover use MCC 7349 to categorize transactions, which affects several aspects of business operations. They use this code to gauge a business's risk profile, which in turn influences interchange rates. For cleaning services under MCC 7349, this classification often corresponds to lower-risk processing environments, potentially reducing transaction fees for the merchant.

Beyond risk assessment, the code also informs other operational functions that streamline financial management.

Expense tracking

Companies rely on MCC 7349 to automatically categorize cleaning services on corporate card statements. This simplifies expense management and helps businesses accurately track spending on property maintenance, which is often a deductible business expense for tax purposes.

Financial analysis

Businesses can analyze spending data tagged with MCC 7349 to monitor maintenance costs over time. This information allows them to identify trends, forecast future cleaning expenses, and create more accurate departmental or company-wide budgets for upkeep.

Compliance and auditing

The consistent application of MCC 7349 creates a clear audit trail. This helps companies verify that payments were for legitimate janitorial or maintenance services, supporting internal controls and simplifying expense report validation.

Rewards and customer behavior

Credit card issuers use MCCs to determine rewards eligibility, such as extra cash back on business services. Customers aware of these benefits may choose a cleaning service that processes payments under MCC 7349 to maximize their card rewards.

How to verify your business's MCC

Cleaning service owners should confirm their MCC classification to proper transaction processing and avoid customer confusion regarding rewards eligibility. If you find out that your business is incorrectly classified—for example, a janitorial service coded as a general contractor—contact your payment processor immediately to request reclassification.

Here's how to verify is your MCC classification is set up correctly:

Contact Your Payment Processor: Your merchant services provider assigned the MCC code when you opened your account. To verify your classification, you can contact their customer service department or review the details in your original merchant agreement documents.
Review Processing Statements: Your monthly merchant statements typically display the assigned MCC code. Look for a four-digit number listed in the account information or business profile section of the document to find your current code.
Check with Your Acquirer: The acquiring bank or financial institution that processes your transactions maintains the MCC code in their system. Their merchant support team can confirm your current classification over the phone or through your online portal.
Test Transaction Method: Some merchants process a small test transaction on a personal credit card. They then check how the charge appears on the statement. This method is less reliable than direct confirmation from your processor or acquirer.

How to choose a reliable payment service provider

Since MCC 7349 affects interchange rates, choosing the right payment processor is an important decision for any cleaning service. Processors handle transactions differently, with variations in pricing models, settlement speeds, and support that can impact your bottom line. Consider these factors to find a provider that fits your business.

Transparent pricing: Look for flat-rate pricing to avoid complex interchange-plus or tiered models. This structure simplifies cost forecasting. The JIM tap-to-pay app for iPhone and Android charges 1.99% per transaction with no setup costs, monthly fees, or premium card surcharges.
Payment method support: Your processor should accept all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, plus digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay to meet modern customer expectations.
Fast fund access: Quick access to funds helps manage cash flow for immediate needs like restocking cleaning supplies, paying vendors, or making payroll. Some processors offer next-day or even instant deposits for a small fee.
Security: A secure processor uses tokenization and encryption to protect customer data. With tokenization, actual card numbers are never stored on your device, which reduces your liability in a data breach.
Reporting: Detailed analytics help you track business performance. The JIM AI assistant provides sales reports and transaction history through a simple chat interface, making it easy to access business insights.

Streamline payments with JIM

JIM offers cleaning service owners a straightforward payment process solution. The JIM tap-to-pay app transforms your iPhone or Android device into a payment terminal with no extra hardware. It uses NFC technology to accept payments directly on your phone. You pay a flat 1.99% per transaction. There are no setup costs, monthly fees, or variable rates for premium cards, which makes your expenses predictable.

For remote transactions, you can use link payments for 4.99% + $0.30 per sale (ideal for client invoices or service deposits). After a successful transaction, your funds become available instantly on your JIM Visa Prepaid Card. You can add this card to Apple Pay or Google Pay, which allows you to use your earnings immediately for business expenses or personal purchases. This direct access to your money helps you manage cash flow effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question

What is Merchant Category Code 7349?

Merchant Category Code 7349 is a four-digit classification number assigned to cleaning and maintenance services by payment networks and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This code identifies transactions for businesses that offer janitorial, maid, or other property upkeep services. Payment processors use this code to categorize sales for interchange rates, expense reporting, and credit card rewards programs.

Is Merchant Category Code 7349 high-risk?

Payment processors classify Merchant Category Code 7349 as low-risk. This classification stems from the industry's low chargeback frequency and predictable transaction patterns, as cleaning services often involve recurring payments. Because of this lower risk profile, businesses under this code usually benefit from more favorable interchange rates, which reduces their overall payment processing costs.

Can a business have multiple MCC codes?

Generally, a business is assigned one primary MCC based on its main activity. However, a company with distinct revenue streams can maintain multiple merchant accounts, each with a different code. For example, a large hotel (MCC 3501) that also offers its professional carpet cleaning services to other local businesses could have a separate merchant account. This secondary account would be classified under MCC 7349 to handle payments for those cleaning jobs.

What happens if my MCC code is wrong?

An incorrect MCC code creates issues for both you and your clients. Customers who chose your service for specific credit card rewards on home maintenance may not receive them, which affects satisfaction and their likelihood to return. For your business, a misclassification can result in higher transaction fees than necessary. It could also put you in violation of payment network rules if you are assigned a lower rate intended for a different type of business.

Can merchants choose their MCC code?

Merchants do not have the freedom to choose their own MCC code. Instead, payment processors assign the classification based on a company's primary business activities, adhering to guidelines from the ISO and payment networks. If a business owner finds that their assigned code does not accurately represent their operations, they can formally request a reclassification from their payment provider to correct the designation.

How does MCC 7349 affect my payment processing costs?

MCC 7349 directly influences the interchange rates you pay on each transaction. Since payment networks classify cleaning services as a low-risk industry, this code generally qualifies for favorable rates that are lower than high-risk sectors like travel. This classification means your business can benefit from reduced processing costs on credit and debit card sales.

However, the exact financial impact depends on your processor’s pricing model, as an interchange-plus plan passes these variable rates directly to you. In contrast, flat-rate processors like JIM absorb the variability and charge you a consistent fee regardless of card type.