A guide to MCC 7375: Information retrieval services

MCC 7375: what it is, its business impact, and how to verify it. Get JIM on iOS/Android to accept phone payments for a 1.99% fee.

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Mar 25, 2026

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2 min read time

MCC 7375 is a merchant category code used to classify Information Retrieval Services by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This code applies to businesses that offer access to databases and retrieve information for customers. Transactions from online information providers, database search services, and research firms typically fall under this category. Payment processors use this classification to identify transactions for these specific data services.

Which businesses fall under MCC 7375?

MCC 7375 applies to a broad range of information service establishments:

Legal and News Databases: These services offer access to extensive archives of legal documents, case law, and news articles. Professionals use them for research, and examples include Westlaw and LexisNexis.
Credit Reporting Agencies: Companies like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion compile and sell credit reports to businesses and consumers. They provide financial histories for lending decisions and personal credit monitoring.
Genealogy and Ancestry Services: Online platforms such as Ancestry.com and MyHeritage provide access to historical records for family tree research. Users search birth certificates, census data, and immigration documents.
Market Research Firms: These firms gather and analyze consumer and market data for business clients. Companies like Nielsen and Gartner offer reports and insights on industry trends and consumer behavior.
Public Record Retrieval Services: These businesses search and deliver public records like property deeds, court filings, and business licenses. They serve legal professionals, real estate agents, and private investigators.
Abstract and Title Companies: These companies research property titles to confirm legal ownership for real estate transactions. They search public records to find liens, encumbrances, or other claims against a property.

Business implications of MCC 7375

Payment networks including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover use MCC 7375 to categorize transactions, which affects several aspects of business operations. These networks use the code to assess a business's perceived risk level. A higher-risk classification can lead to increased interchange rates, which are the fees a merchant pays to the customer's bank for each transaction. For information service providers, this can directly impact profitability.

Beyond risk assessment and processing fees, the MCC code influences other operational functions. It provides a standardized method for classifying expenses, analyzing spending, and maintaining compliance. The code also has implications for customer loyalty programs, as it can determine eligibility for credit card rewards. These factors together shape how businesses manage their finances and interact with customers.

Expense tracking

Companies use MCC codes to automatically categorize business expenses on credit card statements. This simplifies bookkeeping for purchases from information service providers. Proper classification also helps substantiate these costs as legitimate business expenses, which can support tax deduction claims for research and data services.

Financial analysis

Businesses analyze spending patterns by filtering transactions with MCC 7375. This allows them to track costs associated with data and research services, forecast future expenses more accurately, and manage departmental budgets. This data helps inform strategic decisions about resource allocation.

Compliance and auditing

Consistent application of MCC 7375 creates a clear audit trail for expense verification. This standardized data simplifies internal and external audits, as it allows auditors to quickly confirm that payments were made to legitimate information service providers for business purposes.

Rewards and customer behavior

Credit card issuers often tie rewards and cashback offers to specific MCCs. A transaction coded as 7375 might qualify for bonus points in a business or technology category. This can influence a customer's choice of payment method or even their selection of a service provider.

How to verify your business's MCC

Information service provider owners should confirm their MCC classification for proper transaction processing and to avoid customer confusion regarding rewards eligibility. If you find out that your business is incorrectly classified, for example, a market research firm coded as a consulting service, contact your payment processor immediately to request reclassification.

Here's how to verify if 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, contact their customer service department or review the details outlined in your original merchant agreement documents. This is the most direct method.
Review Processing Statements: Your monthly merchant statements typically display the assigned MCC code. Look for a four-digit number, often located in the account information or business profile section of the document, to confirm how your transactions are categorized by the network.
Check with Your Acquirer: The acquiring bank or financial institution that processes your payments also maintains your MCC code in their system. You can reach out to their merchant support team, and they can confirm your business's current classification upon request.
Test Transaction Method: Some merchants run a small test transaction on a personal credit card and then check the statement to see how it appears. This method is less reliable than direct confirmation from your processor, as statement descriptions can sometimes be generic.

How to choose a reliable payment service provider

Since MCC 7375 can affect interchange rates, the payment processor you choose matters. Processors handle these transactions differently, with variations in pricing models, settlement speeds, and support that impact your bottom line. Consider these factors to find a provider that fits your information service business's specific needs.

Transparent pricing: Flat-rate models offer predictability over complex interchange-plus or tiered structures. This simplifies financial forecasting and avoids surprise fees. 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: To meet customer expectations, your processor should accept all major credit cards like Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Support for digital wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, is also standard.
Fast fund access: Quick access to funds helps manage cash flow for operational costs and payroll. Some processors offer instant or next-day deposits, which provides financial flexibility for service-based businesses without physical inventory.
Security: A secure processor protects customer data with technologies like tokenization and end-to-end encryption. Tokenization replaces sensitive card details with a unique identifier, so actual card numbers are never stored on your device or servers.
Reporting: Look for a provider with detailed analytics to track sales and understand business performance. The JIM AI assistant provides sales reports and transaction history through a simple chat interface.

Streamline payments with JIM

JIM offers information service provider owners a straightforward payment solution. You can turn your iPhone or Android into a payment terminal with the JIM tap-to-pay app, which uses NFC technology to accept payments without extra hardware. The pricing is a flat 1.99% per transaction. You face no setup costs, monthly fees, or variable rates for premium cards, which simplifies your financial forecasts.

For remote work, you can use link payments to bill clients for research reports at 4.99% + $0.30 per sale. After a transaction, your funds become available instantly on a JIM Visa Prepaid Card. Add this card to Apple Pay or Google Pay to use your revenue for business expenses immediately. This quick access to capital supports your operational cash flow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question

What is Merchant Category Code 7375?

Merchant Category Code 7375 is a four-digit classification number assigned to Information Retrieval Services by payment networks and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This code identifies transactions from businesses that offer access to databases and retrieve information for customers. Payment processors use this classification to categorize transactions for interchange fees, reporting, and rewards programs.

Is Merchant Category Code 7375 high-risk?

Payment processors classify MCC 7375 as a standard-risk category. This classification reflects the low likelihood of chargebacks and fraud associated with information retrieval services. Consequently, businesses under this code benefit from moderate interchange rates, which keeps transaction costs manageable and avoids the stricter underwriting required for high-risk merchants.

Can a business have multiple MCC codes?

Generally, a business is assigned one MCC based on its main activity. If a company has separate, distinct revenue streams, it can open multiple merchant accounts, each with a different code. For example, a management consulting firm (MCC 8999) that also sells access to a proprietary market research database would need a separate merchant account. That database service would be classified under MCC 7375 for information retrieval, distinct from its primary consulting operations.

What happens if my MCC code is wrong?

An incorrect MCC code creates several problems for your business. Customers might miss out on expected credit card rewards for their data service purchases, a factor that could affect their satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, your business could be subject to improper interchange rates. This means you might pay more in fees than necessary or, conversely, violate network rules if you get a preferential rate meant for another type of business.

Can merchants choose their MCC code?

Merchants cannot arbitrarily select their MCC code. Instead, payment processors assign the code based on a company's primary business activities, in accordance with ISO standards and payment network guidelines. If a business owner believes their classification is inaccurate, they can contact their processor to request a review. This may lead to a reclassification that better reflects their operations.

How does MCC 7375 affect my payment processing costs?

MCC 7375 directly influences the interchange rates applied to each transaction. Payment networks assign this code moderate rates, so your fees are generally lower than those for high-risk industries but higher than what low-risk businesses like supermarkets pay.

The precise financial impact depends on your payment processor’s pricing structure. An interchange-plus model passes the network's variable rates to you, creating fluctuating costs. In contrast, a flat-rate processor like JIM, which offers its solution on both iOS and Android, absorbs the variability and charges you a consistent fee regardless of card type.