MCC 3181 covers MALEV merchants, classified under airline. To maximize rewards at these businesses, look for credit cards with broad spending bonuses or airline category multipliers. MCC Lookup Tool to find which cards earn bonus rewards here.
Delta Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines use MCC 3181. This code covers specific purchases like flights, upgrades, and frequent flyer program fees.
Cardholders often misunderstand that car rentals and hotel stays aren't coded as MCC 3181 even if booked through an airline website.
MCC 3181 stands for MALEV. It is a four-digit Merchant Category Code used by payment networks to classify businesses in the airline category.
Merchants classified under MCC 3181 (MALEV) operate in the airline sector. Card networks assign this code during merchant onboarding based on the primary business activity.
MCC 3181 (MALEV) is not currently a dedicated bonus category for most major credit cards. For airline spending at these merchants, a flat-rate rewards card (1.5–2% on all purchases) is typically your most reliable option. Use our MCC Lookup Tool to find the best card for any specific merchant.
Currently, no credit cards in our database have a dedicated bonus category for MCC 3181 (MALEV). Most purchases posting with this code will earn base rewards (typically 1–1.5x on everyday cards). A flat-rate cashback card is the most predictable choice for airline spending.
MCC 3181 is assigned to businesses providing malev services. While this is a less common merchant category, any purchase that posts with code 3181 will be classified as 'MALEV' by your card issuer, which determines whether airline category bonuses apply to that transaction.
MCC 3181 (MALEV) and MCC 3000 (UNITED AIRLINES) are both in the airline category but cover distinct merchant types. MCC 3181 is used for malev businesses, while MCC 3000 is assigned to united airlines merchants. Both may qualify for the same bonus category on your card — check your card's terms or use our MCC Lookup Tool to confirm.