You may also see references to SIC codes in business documentation. While they are a common industry classification system, they are not used in the payment processing lifecycle, so they do not impact how card transactions are processed through ValPay or Adyen.
What Are Adyen Industry Codes?
Adyen requires an industry code when creating or updating a merchant or sub-merchant account. These codes describe the merchant’s business activity and help Adyen meet regulatory and compliance requirements.
Adyen industry codes:
Describe the merchant’s line of business
Support regulatory, tax, and compliance reporting
Are mapped internally by Adyen to MCC codes
Reflect the merchant’s actual operational activity
Because Adyen maps its industry codes to MCCs, selecting the correct industry code is important to ensure merchants are properly classified within the payment ecosystem.
👉 A full list of the industry codes used by Adyen can be found in the related article linked here.
What Are MCC Codes?
MCCs (Merchant Category Codes) are four-digit codes standardized by the card networks such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.
These codes categorize merchants based on the type of goods or services provided when a payment transaction occurs.
MCC codes are used for:
Transaction routing
Interchange and fee assessment
Risk scoring
Card network rules and restrictions
Consumer card statements and rewards categorization
Unlike industry codes, MCC codes are assigned by Adyen automatically based on the industry code selected for the merchant.
Partners do not need to determine the MCC directly.
What About SIC Codes?
SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes are a four-digit industry classification system created by the U.S. government.
They are used for:
Government reporting
Economic analysis
Industry research
Regulatory filings
While SIC codes categorize businesses at a broad industry level, they are not used in the credit card or payment processing lifecycle. Because of this, SIC codes do not affect how card transactions are categorized or processed in Adyen.
For that reason, partners do not need to reference or provide SIC codes when onboarding or updating merchants in ValPay.
Where Partners Can View a Merchant’s Industry Code
Partners can view the current industry code assigned to a merchant directly in the ValPay Portal.
You can find this information in the following locations:
Business Line Details
Go to the Overview page
Look under Business Line Details
Store Details
Navigate to the Store
Select the Business tab
These sections will display the industry classification currently associated with the merchant account.
How Partners Should Submit Industry Code Changes
Partners only need to determine what industry code best represents the merchant’s business activity.
Adyen will then automatically assign the correct MCC based on that industry code.
If an industry code needs to be updated, partners should submit a request to ValPay Support with the following information:
Merchant name
Account Holder Code or Store ID
The industry code that should be applied
If the exact industry code is known, include the specific code from the Adyen industry code list.
If the correct code is not known, partners should provide a description of what the merchant’s business actually does.
Example:
What products or services they sell
What customers are paying for
How payments are typically collected
How to Choose the Correct Industry Code
If a merchant operates under multiple business activities, the industry code should reflect the activity that represents the majority of their payment transactions.
In other words, choose the industry code based on:
👉 What the merchant primarily does when accepting credit card payments.
For example:
A grocery store that also sells fuel should typically be categorized as grocery if most card payments are for groceries.
A restaurant that also sells merchandise should typically remain restaurant if the majority of transactions are for food and dining.
Selecting the correct classification helps ensure proper risk evaluation, transaction approvals, and fee assessment.
Why This Matters
Accurate industry classification helps:
Ensure merchants are properly categorized for payment processing
Support compliance and regulatory requirements
Allow Adyen to assign the correct MCC
Prevent potential issues with underwriting, approvals, or reporting
Quick Summary
Adyen Industry Code
Describes the merchant’s business activity and is used for compliance and internal classification.
MCC (Merchant Category Code)
Assigned automatically by Adyen and used by card networks to categorize payment transactions.
SIC Code
A government classification system that does not affect payment processing and is not required for ValPay onboarding.
If you are unsure which industry code should apply to a merchant, provide ValPay Support with a description of the merchant’s business activity, and the team will help determine the appropriate classification.