Merchant LensBETA · v0.3.3

See the merchant category behind a transaction.

Hover over a transaction to see its bank-reported merchant category code (MCC), type and category description. For Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Supported: Capital One Canada and Rogers Bank, using English transaction pages.

Optional beta — Chrome Web Store review pending. This download has not been approved by either extension store. If you prefer store installation and automatic updates, wait for the store release.

Try the beta

Version 0.3.3 · ZIP download · No payment or Merchant Lens account required.

Download Merchant Lens v0.3.3

The ZIP contains the complete, readable extension source. It is identical to the v0.3.3 package prepared for the Chrome Web Store.

Inspect the source and verify the download

Open the extracted files in a text editor. Start with manifest.json for permissions, capture.js for response observation, core.js for transaction matching, and content.js for tooltips. background.js handles toggles; options.js provides settings.

Or read the source files online. A checksum helps confirm you received this exact file; it is not a security certification.

SHA-256:f3c24b6ea00325354c08af386a27a16adef9551fc674e550256d7e3ef967c430

Install in Chrome or Edge

Download the ZIP, right-click it in Windows, and choose Extract All. Keep the extracted files in a permanent folder, such as Documents\Merchant Lens.
Open your browser's extension page by typing chrome://extensions in Chrome or edge://extensions in Edge into the address bar.
Turn on Developer mode, then click Load unpacked.
Select the extracted folder containing manifest.json. Select the folder, not the ZIP.
Review the extension's website access. Open the browser's Extensions menu and pin Merchant Lens if you want its icon on the toolbar.
Sign in to your bank normally, open its transaction page, and refresh that page once. Hover over a transaction for about 300 milliseconds.

Install separately in each browser. Keep the extracted folder in place. Your browser may show reminders about developer extensions. Managed work or school browsers may block this installation method.

Using Merchant Lens

Merchant Lens tooltip on a Capital One Walmart Canada transaction, showing MCC 5411, Type: Grocery, and Category: Grocery Stores, Supermarkets. — Example on Capital One: hover over a transaction to see its bank-reported MCC and category. Select the image to view it full size.

Click the toolbar icon or press Alt+Shift+M to turn tooltips on or off. Green means on; grey with OFF means off.
The bank must have supplied an MCC for the transaction. Payments and some pending transactions may not have one.
If nothing appears, refresh the transaction page or load the relevant date range. Right-click the extension icon and open Extension options to check captured-record counts.
If the shortcut is already assigned elsewhere, change it at chrome://extensions/shortcuts or edge://extensions/shortcuts.

MCCs come from the bank. Reward eligibility depends on your card's terms; Merchant Lens does not calculate or guarantee rewards.

Privacy, in plain language

The extension observes transaction responses your bank page already receives and matches them to the displayed rows. It makes no additional banking requests and does not upload transactions. There are no analytics, advertisements or remotely loaded application scripts.

Matching metadata stays in the bank tab's memory under a 30-minute expiry policy. Depending on the bank, it includes merchant, amount, dates, MCC/category, status, card last four digits and cardholder name when supplied. Only the enabled/disabled preference is saved in local extension storage.

Turning tooltips off leaves the temporary observer and cache active so you can turn them back on without refreshing. To stop the extension completely, disable it in the browser and refresh or close bank tabs.

Read the full privacy policy, including cache limits and this website's Cloudflare hosting disclosure.

Updates and removal

Beta updates are manual. Replace the files in your existing extension folder with a new release, click Reload on the browser's extension page, then refresh open bank tabs.

When the store version is available: remove this unpacked beta, then install the store version. It will be a separate installation; this beta will not automatically switch to it.

To uninstall at any time, open your browser's extension page, choose Remove on Merchant Lens, and close or refresh your bank tabs. You can then delete the extracted folder.