MCC 7995 is the merchant category code every gambling operator uses. Holdwell blocks it at the network. The decline happens at the till, not in our app. There is nothing to remember and nothing to switch on.
Every card transaction in the UK is tagged with a Merchant Category Code by the acquiring bank. MCC 7995 covers gambling and lottery merchants. We sit on top of a card-issuing rail that lets us decline 7995 before the auth ever reaches your balance. The receipt at the till reads "card declined by issuer".
It also catches the merchants who try to dodge the rule by listing themselves as an entertainment venue. We screen the merchant name and registered company against an updated list of 60,000+ gambling sites and apps, refreshed weekly.
Most gambling-block products are an app toggle you have to remember to keep on. In the moment of urge, that toggle gets switched off. Holdwell never gives you that lever. There is no in-app "turn off the block" button. Loosening anything takes a 24-hour cool-off plus your sponsor's co-sign.
The result: the friction is moved away from the moment of weakness and toward the moment of clarity, two days earlier, when you are calm enough to think.
Direct debits, salary in, contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay, ATM withdrawals up to your daily limit, the usual things. Your sort code and account number are yours. The only difference is the line on the merchant block list.
Open banking is built in: you can also link a second bank if you want Anna to see wages or transfers that don't pass through your Holdwell card. Sponsor visibility covers both feeds.