If your company issues virtual cards to teams or contractors, you know how quickly spend can spiral out of control without clear boundaries. That’s where Elibrium’s granular controls come in: from merchant category codes (MCCs) to whitelisting specific merchants, we help you control where, when, and how money is spent — before issues arise.

In this article, we’ll break down the basics of MCC and merchant-based controls, and how Elibrium helps finance teams turn policy into practice.

What Is an MCC (Merchant Category Code)?

An MCC is a four-digit code used to classify a business based on the type of goods or services it provides. These codes are assigned by payment networks like Visa and Mastercard. For example:

• 5815 = Digital Goods

• 5734 = Computer Software Stores

• 7399 = Business Services (Misc.)

By setting restrictions based on MCCs, you can:

• Block unauthorized or irrelevant spend categories

• Enforce compliance policies automatically

• Prevent fraud or accidental charges outside of scope

Elibrium Spend Controls in Action

With Elibrium, every virtual card can be configured with:

• Allowed MCCs: Limit card use to only pre-approved categories (e.g., SaaS, ads, travel)

• Blocked MCCs: Prevent spend on non-permitted categories (e.g., alcohol, crypto, gaming)

• Merchant Whitelisting: Limit use to specific vendors like Meta, Google, or specific SaaS tools

• Team-Level Settings: Apply rules by department, buyer, or campaign

This not only reduces risk but also helps your team stay focused on approved business expenses.

Real-World Example: Marketing Team Cards

Say your media buying team gets a $20K monthly budget. You can:

• Limit the MCCs to "Digital Advertising"

• Whitelist Meta and TikTok as accepted merchants

• Block all others to avoid mistakes, fraud, or off-policy tools

That way, your team moves fast — but always within your financial guardrails.

Better Data, Smoother Reconciliation

When your cards are restricted by MCC and merchant, transactions are cleaner and more predictable. That makes month-end reconciliation easier, flags less frequent, and keeps your finance team out of fire-fighting mode.

Paired with Elibrium’s real-time tracking and API, you can automate oversight and pull clean data into your BI tools or accounting system.

Elibrium = Smart Spending from Day One

Whether you’re onboarding a contractor or scaling a 50-person performance team, Elibrium’s built-in MCC and merchant restrictions give you the tools to spend smarter, safer, and with full visibility.

Ready to enforce spend policy at scale? Get started with Elibrium