Assignment guidance
When MCC 5973 should be used
- When the merchant's primary business matches Religious Goods Stores under the applicable scheme rules.
- After confirming the current scheme, region, programme, and acquirer requirements.
Retail, food and direct marketing
MCC 5973
Religious Goods Stores
Merchant category for Religious Goods Stores, listed in the cited Visa and Mastercard material. See the code page for scheme-specific wording and evidence status.
Boundary guidance
When MCC 5973 should not be used
- When another, more specific MCC better describes the merchant's primary business.
- Based on the code title alone without checking current scheme and regional requirements.
Scheme comparison
Names and evidence status
Absence from public material is not treated as proof that a scheme does not use the MCC.
| Scheme | Evidence | Scheme wording | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | Official | Religious Goods StoresGlobal Visa merchant-data manual, April 2026, PDF page 84. | Aligned wording |
| Mastercard | Official | Religious Goods StoresMastercard Merchant Edition reference, 16 April 2024, PDF page 143. | Aligned wording |
| American Express | Publicly not found | No current public definition locatedThe complete American Express Codes Reference Guide is not public. This is not evidence that the MCC is unsupported. | Not available |
| Discover / Diners Club | Publicly not found | No current public definition locatedNo complete current public Discover / Diners Club MCC catalogue was located. This is not evidence that the MCC is unsupported. | Not available |
| UnionPay | Not reviewed | No global definition reviewedThe official material reviewed so far is limited to EEA fee appendices and is not a global definition catalogue. | Not available |
Provenance
Sources reviewed
- Visa Merchant Data Standards ManualApril 2026 · global · official · PDF page 84
- Mastercard Quick Reference Booklet - Merchant Edition16 April 2024 · official · PDF page 143
SchemeLens descriptions and use boundaries are editorial summaries of the cited material. Final MCC assignment depends on the merchant's primary business, current scheme rules, region, programme, and acquirer requirements.