MCC 9700 covers AUTOMATED REFERRAL SERVICE ( FOR VISA ONLY) merchants, classified under government. To maximize rewards at these businesses, look for credit cards with broad spending bonuses or government category multipliers. MCC Lookup Tool to find which cards earn bonus rewards here.
Visa uses MCC 9700 for automated referral services. Examples include government agencies processing payments or transactions through Visa's network.
Cardholders often think all government transactions fall under this code, but only specific referrals and automated service fees do.
MCC 9700 stands for Automated Referral Service ( For Visa Only). It is a four-digit Merchant Category Code used by payment networks to classify businesses in the government category.
Merchants classified under MCC 9700 (Automated Referral Service ( For Visa Only)) operate in the government sector. Card networks assign this code during merchant onboarding based on the primary business activity.
MCC 9700 (Automated Referral Service ( For Visa Only)) is not currently a dedicated bonus category for most major credit cards. For government 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 9700 (Automated Referral Service ( For Visa Only)). 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 government spending.
MCC 9700 is assigned to businesses providing automated referral service ( for visa only) services. While this is a less common merchant category, any purchase that posts with code 9700 will be classified as 'Automated Referral Service ( For Visa Only)' by your card issuer, which determines whether government category bonuses apply to that transaction.
MCC 9700 (Automated Referral Service ( For Visa Only)) and MCC 9211 (Court Costs, including Alimony and Child Support) are both in the government category but cover distinct merchant types. MCC 9700 is used for automated referral service ( for visa only) businesses, while MCC 9211 is assigned to court costs, including alimony and child support 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.