Configuring Earn Rates

Set earn rates per spending category to control how many points cardholders receive.

You control how many points cardholders earn by setting rates for each spending category. Rates are expressed in basis points (bips), where 100 bips equals 1%.

Earn rate configuration for Rain-Managed and Partner-Managed Offchain programs are enforced by our backend. For Partner-Managed Onchain programs, you will receive a webhook indicating how many points to mint, but it is ultimately your responsibility to mint the correct number of points.

Rate Configuration

When onboarding to Rewards, you will be given access to a new page in the Issuing Dashboard that will allow you to configure and edit rates at your discretion. Note that terms of service typically require users are given a notice period before rates are changed (check your specific implementation).

Categories

Rain maps merchant category codes (MCCs) to these categories:

Category	Example Merchants
dining	Restaurants, cafes, bars
travel	Airlines, hotels, car rentals, ground transit
gas	Fuel stations, EV charging
groceries	Supermarkets, specialty food stores
entertainment	Streaming services, cinemas, ticketing, recreation
default	Everything else

The MCC-to-category mapping is fixed by Rain and cannot be customized per tenant.

Qualifying Merchant Category Codes

These mappings come from the Visa Merchant Data Standards. When a category covers a contiguous block of codes, you see the range; otherwise, the individual codes are listed. Any MCC that is not mapped to one of these categories earns at your default rate.

dining

MCC	Represents
5811–5814	Caterers, eating places, drinking places, and fast food

travel

MCC	Represents
3000–3350	Airlines (individual carriers)
3351–3500	Car rental (individual agencies)
3501–3999	Lodging (individual hotel brands)
4111	Local and suburban commuter passenger transportation (including ferries)
4112	Passenger railways
4121	Taxicabs and limousines
4131	Bus lines
4411	Steamship and cruise lines
4457	Boat rentals and leasing
4511	Airlines and air carriers (not elsewhere classified)
4582	Airports, flying fields, and airport terminals
4722	Travel agencies and tour operators
4784	Tolls and bridge fees
4789	Transportation services (not elsewhere classified)
7011	Lodging—hotels, motels, and resorts
7012	Timeshares
7032	Sporting and recreational camps
7033	Trailer parks and campgrounds
7512	Automobile rental agency
7523	Parking lots, parking meters, and garages

gas

MCC	Represents
5541	Service stations (with or without ancillary services)
5542	Automated fuel dispensers
5552	Electric vehicle charging

groceries

MCC	Represents
5411	Grocery stores and supermarkets
5422	Freezer and locker meat provisioners
5441	Candy, nut, and confectionery stores
5451	Dairy products stores
5462	Bakeries
5499	Miscellaneous food stores—convenience stores and specialty markets

entertainment

MCC	Represents
4899	Cable, satellite, and other pay television, radio, and streaming services
5815	Digital goods media—books, movies, digital artwork, and music
7832	Motion picture theaters
7841	DVD and videotape rental stores
7911	Dance halls, studios, and schools
7922	Ticket agencies and theatrical producers (except motion pictures)
7929	Bands, orchestras, and miscellaneous entertainers
7932	Billiard and pool establishments
7933	Bowling alleys
7941	Commercial and professional sports, athletic fields, and promoters
7991	Tourist attractions and exhibits
7992	Public golf courses
7993	Video amusement game supplies
7994	Video game arcades and establishments
7996	Amusement parks, circuses, carnivals, and fortune tellers
7997	Membership clubs (sports and recreation), country clubs, and private golf courses
7998	Aquariums, zoos, and dolphinariums
7999	Recreation services (not elsewhere classified)

Merchant-Specific Rate Overrides

You can override category rates for specific merchants. When a transaction is processed, Rain checks for a merchant-specific rate first. If one exists, it replaces the category rate for that transaction. Merchant and category rates do not stack.

How Merchant Overrides Work

Scenario	Rate Applied
Merchant has a configured rate	Merchant rate (overrides category)
Merchant rate set to 0	0% (merchant excluded from earning)
No merchant rate configured	Category rate (fallback)

How to Edit Rates

Bookkeepers, Developers, and Admins can view the Rewards tab in the Rain Dashboard. Admins can update rates directly from the UI. You can also contact Rain to make changes.

Rate changes apply to future transactions only. Points already earned are not recomputed.