Which Purchases Earn
Purchase | Earns points? |
Groceries and supermarket shopping | Yes |
Restaurants, cafés, bars, and fast food | Yes |
Public transport, taxis, tolls, and parking | Yes |
Fuel | Yes |
Eligible retail and online shopping | Yes |
Eligible entertainment, health, and travel | Yes |
Which Purchases Don't Earn
Activity | Earns points? |
Cash withdrawals | No |
Bank transfers | No |
Crypto purchases, sales, or swaps | No |
Money sent to another person | No |
Declined, cancelled, or refunded purchases | No |
Beyond these, a purchase can still miss out if the merchant sits in a category that isn't on the MCC list below, even when it looks like ordinary shopping.
Refunded Payments
If a purchase is refunded afterwards, the points come off.
The MCC List
The card networks assign every business a merchant category code based on what it mainly sells. That code is what decides eligibility here.
The merchant's own payment provider sets the code, not Pulsar, so a shop can occasionally sit in a category you wouldn't expect. If you think a purchase should have earned and didn't, the code is usually why.
A range covers every code between the two numbers. If a merchant's code isn't listed, the purchase doesn't earn. See Visa's Merchant Data Standards Manual for the network's classification rules.
Groceries
MCC | Merchant category |
5411 | Grocery stores and supermarkets |
5422 | Meat and freezer provisioners |
5441 | Candy, nut, and confectionery stores |
5451 | Dairy product stores |
5462 | Bakeries |
5499 | Convenience and specialty food stores |
Dining
MCC | Merchant category |
5811 | Caterers |
5812 | Restaurants and eating places |
5813 | Bars and drinking places |
5814 | Fast food restaurants |
Transport
MCC | Merchant category |
4111 | Local and commuter passenger transport |
4112 | Passenger railways |
4121 | Taxis and limousines |
4131 | Bus lines |
4784 | Tolls and bridge fees |
4789 | Other transportation services |
7523 | Parking lots and garages |
Fuel
MCC | Merchant category |
5541 | Service stations |
5542 | Automated fuel dispensers |
Shopping
MCC | Merchant category |
5200 | Home-supply warehouses |
5211 | Lumber and building material stores |
5300 | Wholesale clubs |
5310 | Discount stores |
5311 | Department stores |
5331 | Variety stores |
5399 | General merchandise stores |
5611–5699 | Clothing, shoes, accessories, and apparel services |
5712–5719 | Furniture, home furnishings, and home equipment |
5722 | Household appliance stores |
5732 | Electronics stores |
5733 | Music stores |
5734 | Software stores |
5942–5949 | Books, stationery, jewelry, toys, cameras, gifts, and fabric stores |
5970 | Art and craft supply stores |
5992 | Florists |
5999 | Miscellaneous specialty retail |
Entertainment
MCC | Merchant category |
5815–5818 | Digital goods, media, apps, and games |
7832 | Cinemas |
7841 | Video rental stores |
7922 | Theatrical producers and ticket agencies |
7929 | Bands, orchestras, and entertainers |
7932 | Billiard and pool establishments |
7933 | Bowling alleys |
7991 | Tourist attractions and exhibits |
7992 | Golf courses |
7994 | Video game arcades |
7996 | Amusement parks, carnivals, and circuses |
7998 | Aquariums and zoos |
7999 | Other recreation services |
Health
MCC | Merchant category |
5912 | Pharmacies and drug stores |
5975 | Hearing aid stores |
5976 | Orthopedic goods |
8011–8099 | Medical and healthcare services |
8043 | Optical goods and eyeglasses |
Travel
MCC | Merchant category |
3000–3299 | Airline merchants |
3300–3499 | Car rental companies |
3500–3999 | Hotel and lodging brands |
4411 | Cruise lines |
4511 | Airlines and air carriers |
4582 | Airports and flying fields |
4722 | Travel agencies and tour operators |
7011 | Hotels, motels, and resorts |
7512 | Car rental agencies |
7519 | Motor home and recreational vehicle rentals |
Claiming a Discount on a Purchase
An eligible purchase can also have points spent against it for a refund if it's under 30 days old, between $0.50 and $200, not refunded, and not already claimed.
The refund rates are in Pulsar Points Explained.