Tangerine cash back MasterCard | Page 6 | Credit card reward programs | Discussion forum

Had a wonderful conversation with the most upbeat Tang Credit Card Specialist agent this afternoon. I was informed that merchants, when they apply to join a credit card network, must register type of business and choose the appropriate code(s?) accordingly in their application. I later verified this process with a financial institution I have no association with (CIBC).

Both the Tang and CIBC agent suggested a call to the merchant and ask to speak with someone beyond frontline CS, possibly someone in accounting/finance department. Although each hinted that most MCC information may not directly be available via these methods of contact, but requesting to speak to the appropriate channels and individual in the organization my prove fruitful for my purposes. Needless to say, I'll be making some toll free calls to NWC headquarters in Winnipeg tomorrow.

Additional dividends/cash back would be a nice added bonus, on top of dividends received from Co-op membership, as the price per head of cauliflower (the unofficial measure of the current state of our economy) was $14.29 today.

It's part of the reality of living in remote Canada. I truly feel for those who are unemployed or, even worse, underemployed. See this CBC article from yesterday .

I'll do my do-diligence with this MCC thing. One of the many advantages of northern and small town living is that you know the store manager by first name and that their cabin is next to yours.

I wrote last year that the merchant's MCC may be available from your credit card issuer as part of the information about a transaction. The MCC of each transaction is available online for PC MasterCard holders.

If not available online, a customer service rep of the credit card issuer may be able to provide the MCC once the charge is posted to your account.

The MCC is definitely transmitted to the card issuer by the merchant's acquirer. GS wrote about an incident that suggests the MCC is used by card issuers to decide to approve or decline a charge.

The following is a list of MCC codes, from Tangerine, which are eligible for 2% cash back:

Qualifying 2% Money-Back Categories: You may choose your 2% Money-Back Categories from the following list of eligible Merchant Category Codes (MCC) and transaction type. The MCCs are established using generally accepted payment logic, and industry standards. They are:

Drug Stores: merchants classified as “Drug Stores/Pharmacies” (MCC 5912);

Eating Places: merchants classified as “Eating Places, Restaurants, Bars, Lounges, Discos, Nightclub Taverns and Fast Food Restaurants” (MCC 5812 – 5814);

Entertainment: merchants classified as “Sports Venues, Theatres, Amusement Parks, Carnivals, Circus, Tourist Attractions and Exhibits, Movie Theatres, Zoos, Bands, Orchestras, Aquariums” (MCC 7941, 7922, 7996, 7991, 7929, 7998, 7832, 7829);

Furniture: merchants classified as “Home Furnishing Stores, Furniture Reupholstery” (MCC 5712, 5719, 7641);

Gas: merchants classified as “Service Stations” (MCC 5541/5542);

Grocery: merchants classified as “Grocery Stores and Supermarkets” (MCC 5411, 5422, 5462);

Home Improvements: merchants classified as “Hardware Stores, Home Supply Warehouse Stores, Lawn and Garden Supply Stores, Glass/Paint/Wallpaper Stores, Florist supplies nursery stock & flowers, Floor Coverings, Drapery and Window Coverings” (MCC 5251, 5200, 5261, 5231, 5718, 5713, 5714);

Hotels-Motels: merchants classified as “Lodging, Hotels, Motels, Resorts or by Property name” (i.e. Fairmont, Marriott, Holiday Inn, etc.) (MCC 7011, 3500-3828);

Public Transportation and Parking: merchants classified as “Automobile Parking Lots and Garages, Public Transportation (including Buses, Trains, Ferries), Taxis, Road Tolls” (MCC 7523, 4111, 7524, 4121, 4784);

Recurring Bill Payment: Recurring bill payments are defined as payments made on a monthly or other regular basis, and which are automatically billed by the merchant to your Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card, such as your monthly phone bill. Not all merchants offer recurring payments, and not all ongoing payments will be considered “recurring payments” for purposes of this category. Please check with your merchant to see if your recurring payment qualifies.

Eligible categories are subject to change at the discretion of Tangerine, without notice to you. The current list of qualifying 2% Money-Back Categories is available for viewing when you log in at tangerine.ca and go to “Manage Rewards” under your Credit Card Account. Merchants control their MCC categorization such that Tangerine has no control over how a merchant is classified.

The following situations are representative of merchants which may not earn 2% Money-Back Rewards due to the MCC categorization:

Purchases at wholesale clubs, alcohol retailers, general merchandise merchants, convenience stores and other merchants whose business is not limited and thus the businesses are not categorized under any eligible Merchant category codes.
Food purchased at discount retailers or specialty retailers such as fish markets and health food stores;
Gasoline purchases that are not for retail or automobile gasoline;
Purchases for dining within a retail store, hotel, pub, bar, club, lounge or other merchant that is not categorized as a restaurant;
If the merchant category for the purchase is not identified. This may happen when the transaction information we receive does not come directly from the merchant.
Tangerine is not responsible for how merchants are categorized. Tangerine will not issue new or additional Rewards to you should the merchant from whom you made your Net Purchase not be classified in the category you expected. Further, Tangerine will not transfer or re-categorize purchases from a 2% Money-Back Category to a 1% Money-Back Category.

There was an earlier discussion Tangerine Money-Back MasterCard 2% reward categories that explored details of the Tangerine MasterCard reward program and what MCC codes are.

Get cozy with a $250 Bonus.*
Apply for a Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card by March 31, 2020, and if you’re approved and spend at least $5,000 on everyday purchases in your first 3 months, we’ll put a $250 credit on your Account. That’s like $250 back in your pocket.

https://www.highinterestsavings.ca/out/tangerine-moneyback

pooreva said
Now tell me how am I supposed to spend $1,666 a month on 'everyday purchases'??? Unless you feed family of 10 and impulsively buy unneeded stuff left and right.
Does dentist's appointments classify as 'everyday purchases'?

According to small print for $250 offer, it means to "have at least $5,000 in Net Purchases posted to their Account."

I do not have family of 10, mine is somewhat 🙂 smaller, but I can easily spend $1,700 monthly on credit card: cable TV and Internet, house and auto insurance, gasoline, cell phone bills - that adds a lot before it even comes to groceries.

Also, it appears dentist fees also count as purchases, at least small print does not exclude them.

If I haven't had Tangerine Mastercard, I would have applied and easily collected that bonus.

I found the wording: ...do not include payments, Cash Advances (including Balance Transfers and Cash-Like Transactions), interest, fees, insurance premiums, adjustments or other charges.

Well, I applied and the wife and I are putting everything on this card, but it excludes payments, so that may include your cable, hydro, insurance payment?
Bad timing with the covid-19 crisis, our spending is way down. Tangerine should extend its 3-month period.

gicjunkie said

I think a lot of you are misinterpreting the term "payments" and "insurance" as it applies to cash back. IMHO , excluded "payments" means the actual payment of your credit card services and balances, not payments to outside suppliers of products and services. They clearly have a rewards category called "recurring bill payments" which qualifies for rewards. This includes utility bills, payments to alarm companies, phone bills, etc. They just do not expect to pay rewards on Tangerine Credit Card service fees and actual statement payments. To be totally clear, call Tangerine.  

Others have called Tangerine and unfortunately whoever you got on the phone or live chat just read the fine print (like us) and said "insurance premiums" excluded. Re payments, I am almost 100% confident recurring payment like you mentioned will qualify, as the word "payment" is just vague. More concern paying for auto / home insurance will NOT be counted.