# Mastercard MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect > Mastercard MCP lets you identify card types, validate accounts, find merchants, and report fraud using official Mastercard payment APIs. Use it to handle payment intelligence directly through your AI client. ## Overview - **Category:** industry-titans - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_NVEdiwOFK39oo4SxhoHISBVJABh2JC4PqWkfuar2/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** bin-lookup, fraud-detection, card-validation, merchant-services, financial-data ## Description Imagine you're building a checkout flow and need to know if a card is actually valid before you hit the processing stage. Instead of building a custom integration from scratch, you just ask your agent to check the account. This Connector handles the heavy lifting by connecting to Mastercard's infrastructure. You can instantly pull card details to see if a card is commercial or personal, or find nearby merchants that accept specific digital wallets like Apple Pay. It takes the friction out of payment data. You'll find this in the Vinkius catalog where it sits alongside other industry-standard tools. It turns your AI into a payment specialist that knows exactly which business codes apply to different types of shops and which locations support contactless payments. You stop clicking through multiple developer portals and start getting answers in a single chat. You can use it to identify card types from just a few digits, which helps your team understand the cardholder profile before a transaction even starts. If you're building a travel app, you can query for nearby ATMs or points of interest that support specific payment methods. It even allows you to submit confirmed fraud reports directly to the official database. This means your fraud analysts don't have to manually fill out forms or navigate complex portals to flag stolen cards. By connecting this to your AI client, you turn a series of tedious API calls into a natural conversation. You get to focus on building your product while the Connector handles the technical details of merchant discovery and card validation. ## Tools ### bin_lookup Get issuer name, card type, and country from the first 6 to 8 digits of a card number. Use this to identify card ranges before transactions. ### bin_lookup_post Retrieve card identification data using a secure POST method. This is the preferred way to handle sensitive card data in secure environments. ### get_merchant Pull full address, contact info, and accepted payment methods for a specific merchant ID. Use this for in-depth location details. ### get_place_details Get coordinates, operating hours, and digital wallet support for a specific location ID. This provides deep data on merchant attributes. ### merchant_category_codes List all 4-digit MCC codes used to classify businesses. This helps you understand business classifications and filter searches. ### merchant_industry_codes View higher-level industry categories that group various MCC codes together. Use this for broader business classification and spending analysis. ### nearby_locations Find points of interest and payment infrastructure within a specific radius of GPS coordinates. Great for finding nearby ATMs. ### search_merchants Search for Mastercard-accepting merchants near a location, filtered by MCC category. Use this to analyze merchant density in an area. ### search_places Find nearby merchants that support specific features like Apple Pay or Google Pay. This is ideal for finding locations with specific wallet support. ### search_places_by_address Find payment-accepting locations near a street address instead of using coordinates. This is perfect for user-friendly location queries. ### submit_fraud_report Send a confirmed fraudulent transaction to the Mastercard Fraud and Loss Database. Use this to help improve the network's fraud detection. ### validate_account Check if a full card number is active and valid before you attempt to process a payment. This helps reduce declined transactions during checkout. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` What kind of card is 453277 and where was it issued? ``` **Response:** ``` I've checked the BIN for 453277. It's a Mastercard Credit card issued in France by BNP Paribas. It's a standard card type, not a commercial or prepaid one. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Find me some cafes near 123 Main St, New York that take Apple Pay. ``` **Response:** ``` I found 3 cafes near that address that support Apple Pay: - **Blue Bottle Coffee** - **Starbucks** - **Joe Coffee** All are currently open and accept your preferred payment method. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Is this card 5555444433332222 valid? ``` **Response:** ``` I've checked that card number. It is currently **VALID**. It's a credit card issued by Chase Bank and is ready for transactions. ``` ## Capabilities ### Identify card issuer and type Get the bank name, card category, and issuing country from the first few digits of a card number. ### Confirm account validity Check if a payment card is currently active and ready for transactions before you process a payment. ### Locate nearby merchants Find Mastercard-accepting businesses near specific GPS coordinates or street addresses. ### Search for digital wallet support Identify locations that accept specific payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay. ### Report confirmed fraud Submit verified fraudulent transaction details to the official Mastercard Fraud and Loss Database. ### Access merchant codes Retrieve the full database of Merchant Category Codes to classify different types of businesses. ## Use Cases ### Rapid Fraud Investigation A fraud analyst notices a suspicious transaction and asks the agent to run a bin_lookup to see if the card was issued in a high-risk region. ### Smart Checkout Validation A developer uses validate_account to check a card's active status before initiating a high-value payment to reduce transaction failures. ### Travel Merchant Discovery A traveler asks for nearby cafes that accept contactless payments and uses search_places to find options with Apple Pay support. ### E-commerce Routing Optimization An online store owner uses bin_lookup to identify commercial vs. personal cards to determine the best routing for international fees. ## Benefits - Reduce declined payments by using validate_account to check card status before you attempt to process a transaction. - Identify high-risk card types instantly with bin_lookup to improve your payment routing and understand cardholder profiles. - Find specific merchants using search_places_by_address so your users don't have to share precise GPS coordinates. - Protect the network and your users by using submit_fraud_report to flag confirmed stolen card activity in real time. - Build better navigation for your app by pulling the full database of merchant_category_codes to classify local businesses. - Offer better travel information by using search_places to show users exactly where they can use Apple Pay or Google Pay. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get direct access to Mastercard's payment intelligence without writing a single line of integration code. 1. Subscribe to the Mastercard MCP in the Vinkius catalog. 2. Provide your Mastercard Developers Client ID and Client Secret in your AI client settings. 3. Ask your agent to look up card details, find merchants, or report fraud in plain English. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can the Mastercard MCP help me find local shops?** Yes, it can find merchants near your current GPS coordinates or a specific street address. You can even filter the results to find places that accept specific payment methods. **How do I use this to stop fraud?** You can use the Connector to report confirmed fraudulent transactions to the official database. This helps the network identify stolen cards and reduce future fraud. **Can it tell me what a card is for?** Yes, it uses BIN lookup to identify if a card is a commercial, prepaid, or personal card. This helps you understand the cardholder's profile before processing a payment. **Does it work with Apple Pay?** Yes, the Connector can search for merchant locations that specifically support Apple Pay or Google Pay, making it useful for travel and concierge apps. **Can I use this to check if a card is active?** Yes, you can use it to verify if a payment card is active and valid before you attempt to process a transaction. This is a great way to reduce declined payments. **What are MCC codes?** MCC codes are 4-digit numbers used to classify different types of businesses, like grocery stores or restaurants. The Connector gives you access to the full database of these codes. **Can I identify what bank issued a card just from the first few digits?** Yes! Use the `bin_lookup` tool with the first 6-8 digits of the card number (the BIN). Mastercard will return the issuer bank name, card type (credit/debit/prepaid), card category (Gold/Platinum/World), issuing country, and flags like whether it's a commercial or healthcare card. For example, BIN 542418 reveals the exact issuing bank and card tier. **How can I find merchants that accept Mastercard near a specific location?** Use the `search_merchants` tool with latitude, longitude, and a search radius in meters. You can optionally filter by MCC code (e.g., "5812" for restaurants, "5411" for grocery stores). For example, searching with coordinates -23.5505, -46.6333 (São Paulo) and radius 5000 will return all Mastercard-accepting merchants within 5km. Results include merchant names, addresses, categories, and coordinates. **Can I verify if a payment card is valid before processing a transaction?** Yes! Use the `validate_account` tool with the full card number. It checks Mastercard records to determine if the card is active and valid, returning the validation status (VALID/INVALID), account type (credit/debit/prepaid), and issuer information. Optionally include expiry date (MMYY format) and cardholder name for enhanced validation. This helps reduce declined transactions and fraud risk. Never store full card numbers — handle them securely. **How do I report a confirmed fraudulent transaction to Mastercard?** Use the `submit_fraud_report` tool with the card number, transaction amount, currency (ISO 4217), and fraud type code. Fraud types: "01" = Stolen Card, "02" = Never Received Card, "03" = Fraudulent Application, "04" = Counterfeit Card. Optionally include fraud amount and transaction date. This submits to Mastercard's Fraud and Loss Database (FLD) to help reduce false positives across the network. IMPORTANT: Only authorized fraud management personnel should use this tool for confirmed cases. **Can I find merchants that accept Apple Pay or Google Pay near me?** Yes! Use the `search_places` tool with GPS coordinates and set hasApplePay=true or hasGooglePay=true to filter for merchants with those payment capabilities. Returns detailed merchant information including names, addresses, MCC codes, and which digital wallets they accept. For example, searching near Times Square (40.7580, -73.9855) with hasApplePay=true will show all nearby Apple Pay-enabled merchants.