The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on April 17, 2026, issued the notification regarding the Classification of MCC for Gift Card/ Voucher Purchase Transactions.
The following has been stated namely: -
• Gift card/voucher purchases via UPI will now be classified under MCC 7016, instead of MCC 6540 (used for PPI wallet loading), to ensure clear differentiation.
• Acquiring banks and PSPs must assign MCC 7016 to all merchants dealing in gift cards/vouchers, both existing and new.
• Compliance with this change is mandatory by May 31, 2026, as per specified guidelines.
[Notification No. NPCI/UPI/OC-232/2026-27]
