Apple Goldman Sachs Card transactions coded with Incorrect Merchant category

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Level 1

4 points

Apple Goldman Sachs Card transactions coded with Incorrect Merchant category

After having contacted Apple card - G/S Support several times, I got someone today via text messaging and they gave me the best info to date. Previously the answer has been

"You cannot change the Category assigned to the Vendors in your Transactions if it is incorrect."

The support agent today instructed me to go to the Transaction list in my Wallet -Apple Card on my IOS phone, tap on the transaction. then select "Report an Issue" and in the "Issue:" list below it, choose "Incorrect Merchant Info".Then scroll dow to Merchant Category" in the list of possible problems that appears, and fill in the required "Add More Detail" in the empty text box .

The Agent said the info should apply to all historical transactions , as well, but I am curious to see if that turns out to be true, how long the correction takes to appear, and if Apple/G-S Support ever contacts me .

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on Jun 19, 2022 5:41 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Jeff Donald

Level 7

23,053 points

Jun 19, 2022 5:58 PM in response to MicroAcres

That will not change the Merchant Category Code (MCC). The code can not be changed by Goldman Sachs or Apple or anyone other than the merchant and MasterCard. The Merchant picks the code that best fits for the products or services they sell. MasterCard can reclassify a business if the category is in error for the majority of transactions. Here is a link to the VISA guide to MCC,

https://usa.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/download/merchants/visa-merchant-data-standards-manual.pdf

The support rep misinformed you. The report an issue is to correct merchant names, addresses, phone number, map location etc. It will not change the Merchant Category Code.

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Answer 2

MicroAcres Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 19, 2022 6:36 PM in response to Jeff Donald

Good work ! This is exactly the info I asked the Agent for, Jeff. Thanks. Five Stars !

Question -

"Who chooses the Merchant Category Code which shows in the Apple Card transactions, and How can it be changed ?"

Answer -

The Merchant (which they also call "acquirer" selects the Merchant Code from the listed available codes in this document on the VISA website and enters the new code request there.

This should likely also straighten out the exports for merging into Quicken.

I will contact several vendors to have them follow up and do this.

It looks like the information you have provided is key information. Thanks !

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Answer 3

Jeff Donald

Level 7

23,053 points

Jun 21, 2022 4:54 AM in response to MicroAcres

Visa a page for years that listed MCC by merchant, but the link is currently dead. You could probably access the page using the Wayback Machine website. It was called the Visa Supplier Locator Tool. MasterCard, American Express and Discover never had such a tool to the best of my knowledge.

Citibank has a useful pdf as well.

https://www.citibank.com/tts/solutions/commercial-cards/assets/docs/govt/Merchant-Category-Codes.pdf

Happy hunting.

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Answer 4

MicroAcres Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 21, 2022 11:43 AM in response to Jeff Donald

Thanks again, Jeff.

The link was indeed dead, as you noted. No error message or notice of any kind. However, after digging on the Visa.com website, I found this page that explains that they are migrating the information to a new tool . You would think they would supply a reference link to it from the previous tool page. Per their information, I wrote to the address given for access to the new tool. We'll see. I will report.

https://usa.visa.com/run-your-business/commercial-solutions/solutions/supplier-management.html#2

VISA writes: "The Supplier Locator tool is migrating over to the Supplier Matching Service. To use the service, please email us at Visasms@visa.com for access. You will continue to be able to use the Supplier Marching Service to identify your clients’ suppliers that already accept Visa Commercial payment products. "

An interesting aside I found is this comment from Singapore on how the old tool used to work (as well as some reasons the Merchant Category Code MCC can be of significance to a purchaser.

https://www.singsaver.com.sg/blog/visa-supplier-locator

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Answer 5

MicroAcres Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 21, 2022 12:26 PM in response to Jeff Donald

This tool from Awardwallet.com, is referred to in the Singapore website mentioned above and works for some vendors.

It does not directly show the Merchant Category Code , but the MCC can be derived by looking up the exact description of the code which is shown. I suspect it may be running on cached info currently, rather than regularly updatedd.

https://awardwallet.com/merchants

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