What if my card recommendation is wrong?Updated 19 days ago
Kudos uses merchant categorization to determine which credit card will earn you the most rewards for each purchase. However, merchant categorization can be complex due to how different card networks and merchants handle category codes.
How Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) Work
Each merchant is assigned a Merchant Category Code (MCC) by their payment processor when they set up their business. These codes determine which spending category a transaction falls into for credit card rewards purposes.
Important considerations:
- Each card network (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) uses its own MCC system
- Merchants aren't always categorized as you might expect them to be
- The same merchant might be categorized differently across different card networks
- Some merchants may use generic or unexpected category codes
How Kudos Handles Merchant Categories
Our Process:
- We maintain a database of merchants and their appropriate reward categories
- When you make a purchase, we match the merchant to the correct category for each of your cards
- We recommend the card that will earn the highest rewards based on these categorizations
Why You Might See Incorrect Categories
Common reasons for categorization discrepancies:
- New merchants that aren't yet in our database
- Merchants with unexpected MCCs (e.g., a utility company coded as "services" instead of "utilities")
- Recent changes to how a merchant processes payments
- Complex businesses that might fall into multiple categories
What to Do if You See an Error
If you notice that Kudos is showing the wrong earning rate for a merchant:
- Contact Kudos support - Send us the merchant name and what category it should be
- Include details - Let us know what rewards rate you actually earned vs. what Kudos recommended - screenshots are always helpful!
We'll investigate and update our database so the merchant is correctly categorized for all users. We're continuously working to improve our merchant database and appreciate your help in identifying categorization issues!
Need More Help?
If you encounter incorrect merchant categorization, contact our support team at [email protected].