The branches and foreign exchange administrative departments of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) in all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and cities specifically designated in the state plan; UnionPay International Co., Ltd.; Express (Hangzhou) Technology Service Co., Ltd.; Wanshi Wanglian Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.; all national Chinese-funded commercial banks: 

In order to facilitate cross-border transactions with domestic bank cards by individuals and improve foreign exchange administration for bank cards, the issues concerning updating the merchant category codes (MCCs) for the use of domestic bank cards outside China are notified as follows:

I. 345 MCCs are supplemented (refer to the Appendix), which and the Appendix Merchant Category Codes for the Use of Domestic Bank Cards Outside China to the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Regulating the Management of Foreign Currency Bank Cards (Huifa No. 53 [2010], hereinafter referred to as Document No. 53) constitute the current effective list of MCCs.

II. Domestic bank card clearing institutions and card-issuing financial institutions shall, in accordance with Document No. 53, strictly implement classified administration for overseas transactions with domestic bank cards, make set-ups in their business systems according to the current effective list of MCCs, and not authorize or offer clearing of transactions beyond such list. The set-up for bank cards authorized by domestic bank card clearing institutions shall be made by such institutions in their business systems, and the set-up for bank cards authorized by overseas bank card clearing institutions shall be made by domestic card-issuing financial institutions in their business systems.

III. Domestic bank card clearing institutions shall adjust their own MCCs, and shall make a written report to the SAFE 30 days before such adjustment becomes effective. As to the adjustment of MCCs by overseas bank card clearing institutions, Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China or China Merchants Bank shall make a written report to the SAFE 30 days before such adjustment becomes effective. The SAFE shall update and issue the list of MCCs for the use of domestic bank cards outside China according to such adjustments.

The aforesaid adjustment refers to the supplement or suspension of MCCs or the change to MCC definition.

IV. This Circular shall become effective as of May 1, 2024. All domestic bank card clearing institutions and card-issuing financial institutions shall complete the adjustment of their business systems on time as required by this Circular.

Upon receiving this Circular, the branches and foreign exchange administrative departments of the SAFE in all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and cities specifically designated in the state plan shall promptly forward it to prefecture (city) sub-branches, urban commercial banks, rural commercial banks, wholly foreign-owned banks, Sino-foreign joint venture banks, branches of foreign-owned banks, rural cooperative financial institutions, and village and town banks within their respective jurisdictions. In case of any problems during implementation, please contact the SAFE Balance of Payments Department without hesitation at 010-68402309, 68402593.

Appendix: Merchant Category Codes for the Use of Domestic Bank Cards outside China (345 Newly Supplemented)

General Affairs Department of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange 

March 15, 2024