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MCC Auto-Categorization

Bank-synced transactions carry Merchant Category Codes; Budgie maps them to your category tree automatically — first import, no setup.

Why MCC is the universal merchant taxonomy

MCC is the universal merchant taxonomy banks already attach to every card transaction. Budgie ships an MCC → category lookup so a coffee shop (MCC 5814) lands in your "Food & Drink" without a single tap.

Per-MCC overrides let you bend the default mapping — point all 4111 (transit) into your "Commute" category instead of "Travel" once and never touch it again.

What you get

Universal MCC → category lookup ships with sensible defaults

Per-MCC overrides for personal preferences — set once, applies forever

MCC short and full description visible in the transaction edit form

AI category suggestion fills the gap for non-MCC transactions

PrivatBank's proprietary categories also map through the same MCC system

How it works

On bank import, each transaction's MCC is read from the source. Budgie looks up the MCC in the lookup table; the resulting category fills the form. AI category suggestions take over for transactions without an MCC.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's an MCC?
Merchant Category Code — the universal 4-digit code your bank attaches to every card transaction. 5814 is "fast food", 4111 is "transit", 5411 is "supermarket", and so on.
What if I want my own category mapping?
Override per-MCC: point all 4111 (transit) into your "Commute" instead of the default "Travel". Override once, applies forever.
What if the transaction has no MCC?
Manual entries don't have MCC; some bank-sync flows drop it. AI category suggestions handle those — see On-Device AI Auto-Categorization.
Can I see the MCC on a transaction?
Yes — the MCC short and full description appear in the transaction edit form for any bank-synced row.

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