ISO 18245 is the specific international standard that establishes the list of Merchant Category Codes (MCCs). These codes are four-digit identifiers used to categorize businesses by the types of goods or services they provide.

The Role of ISO 18245

While individual card networks (like Visa or Mastercard) may implement their own variations or specific codes, the ISO 18245 standard provides the unified framework that ensures a “Grocery Store” is recognized as such across different banks and countries.