How to restrict spend to travel-related merchants only?
Short answer
Modern business cards let you restrict spend to travel-related merchants by using merchant category code (MCC) controls. On Ramp, you can limit any card to specific travel categories (such as airlines, lodging, and ground transportation) so all non-travel transactions automatically decline.
How MCC controls work
Merchant Category Codes classify transactions based on the type of business. When a card is restricted to travel-related MCCs:
- Non-travel purchases are automatically declined
- Travel purchases (flights, hotels, rideshare) process normally
- Finance teams maintain clean, policy-aligned spend data
Ramp evaluates MCCs in real time and only approves transactions that match allowed categories.
Proactive steps to ensure travel-only spend
- Define eligible categories. Clarify what your company considers “travel.”
- Use purpose-built travel cards. Issue cards pre-configured with travel-only MCC restrictions.
- Communicate guidelines. Employees should expect non-travel purchases to decline.
Limitations to understand
Merchant categorization is assigned by payment networks, not by Ramp. Because of this:
- A restaurant inside a hotel may code as a restaurant, not lodging
- Airport shops and newsstands often code as retail
- International merchants may use different MCCs
- Parking garages may or may not fall under travel-related categories
If legitimate travel expenses decline due to merchant coding, you can adjust the card’s restrictions or issue a separate card for those purchases.
How Ramp manages travel-only card controls
Ramp provides flexible tools to implement and manage travel-only restrictions:
- MCC-based restrictions: Select predefined travel categories or manually choose allowed MCCs
- Card-level or program-level enforcement: Apply restrictions to individual cards or groups
- Dynamic controls: Combine MCC filters with budgets, merchant locks, or location rules
- Real-time alerts: Cardholders are notified instantly for declined transactions
- Audit trail: All rule changes, approvals, and declines are logged
Common scenarios
Below are examples of how businesses commonly use travel-only cards:
Common scenarios
Below are examples of how businesses commonly use travel-only cards:
- Employee traveling for a conference: Issue a virtual card restricted to airlines, hotels, and ground transportation with a set limit (e.g., $3,000). The employee can book flights, lodging, and rideshare services, while purchases at restaurants, airport retail shops, or other non-travel merchants automatically decline. The card can be paused or deactivated once the trip concludes.
- Recurring travel program: For frequent travelers such as sales or field teams, create a physical card with travel-category restrictions and a monthly spending limit. The employee can book ongoing flights, hotels, and ground transportation without requesting new cards for each trip, while built-in MCC controls prevent use at non-travel merchants.
- One-time vendor payment: When paying a specific hotel or conference venue, generate a single-use virtual card restricted to that vendor’s MCC with an exact dollar limit matching the booking amount. This ensures the card only works for the intended charge and becomes unusable after the transaction processes, reducing the risk of misuse or unexpected add-on charges.