Not Sure Why You’re On The MATCH List?

Here’s Why You Are On The MATCH List

If you have discovered that you cannot open a new merchant account, your bank has dropped you, or you can no longer process credit card payments, chances are that you have landed on the Mastercard MATCH List. This is a comprehensive blacklist of merchants who have violated one of over a dozen codes set by Mastercard. While the list has good intentions, it can cause well-meaning businesses to lose everything at, often times, no fault of their own. Keep reading to learn more about the MATCH List, why you are likely on it, and how to get off MATCH as quickly as possible.

Why Won’t They Tell Me?

Mastercard Alert To Control High-risk Merchants (MATCH Pro) lets an acquiring partner look up whether another acquiring partner has terminated a merchant in the past and the reason for said termination, to help with an onboarding decision.

And yes, it is true, your bank or processing company has absolutely no obligation to tell you why you are on the MATCH List.

They don’t even have to tell you that you’ve been placed on it at all.

Most of all, they have no obligation or incentive to help you at all.

If you are trying to find answers and keep hitting a brick wall, you are not going to find them through your bank or processing company. Instead, you need to look further and, when possible, seek legal help to get your business back on track. Because if you don’t, you will remain on the MATCH List for five years (until you are aged off), and you will not be able to process credit cards the entire time.

How You Likely Got On The MATCH List

Want to do some detective work to find out why you may have gotten on the MATCH List? There are four likely scenarios. They include excessive chargebacks, PCI-DSS Non-Compliance, issues with fraud, and data breaches. In some cases, if you are able to prove that you have been placed on the list in error, you can get removed more easily.

Excessive Chargebacks

The most common reason businesses are placed on the Match List is due to excessive chargebacks. Keeping a chargeback percentage of under 1% is ideal and will keep your business in the safe zone and off the Match List.

Once you creep up into 2% or higher, you could start having some issues.

Reasons that customers may open chargebacks against you include:

1. Unrecognized charge. Make sure that the name you use for credit card processing is as straightforward and as close to your business name as possible. If customers don’t recognize the name on their statement, they may call their bank to dispute the charge—even if they did purchase something from you and the charge is legitimate. In addition, including your business’s phone number with your name can help encourage customers to call you directly, rather than use their credit card, should they have any questions about what the charge was.
2. Unauthorized charge. If you accidentally charge a customer twice, the customer presses the Pay Now button more than once, or any other type of glitch occurs, a chargeback may result. In addition, if the customer’s credit card was stolen and unauthorized purchases were made, the customer could also open a chargeback for those charges.
3. Poor business practices. If you take too long to ship an item, provide poor customer service, or fail to deliver an item, a customer will likely open a chargeback. Make sure your business maintains excellent customer service, speedy shipping, advertising your products or services as realistically as possible, and fulfilling orders as promised to avoid disappointing customers. In turn, this will help prevent chargebacks from happening.

PCI-DSS Non-Compliance

The PCI in PCI Standard stands for Payment Card Industry, and if you violate their standards, you can very quickly find yourself on the MATCH List. Being placed on the MATCH List, you may also face a hefty fine of $25,000 or more if you do not comply with and fix the issues.

Wondering how to get PCI-compliant? Their website offers a ton of information to help you, but we can help you navigate this, too

Issues with Fraud

If your business has fallen victim to identity theft, fraud, or data breach issues, you will likely find yourself on the MATCH List.

Yes, this means you can get on the MATCH List, even if it’s not your fault, as a crime victim.

This violation exists to protect customers and ensure businesses maintain high security standards. If you have not been a victim of identity theft or fraud, now is a good time to evaluate your data security measures and ensure they are up to snuff.

If you have, this is highly likely why you are on the MATCH List, and data security should be at the top of your priority list in order to get off MATCH.

Data Breaches

Like fraud issues, frequent data breaches can land you on the Match List, whether or not it’s your fault. According to Varonis, a data breach occurs when a cybercriminal infiltrates a data source and extracts confidential information.

This can be done by accessing a computer or network to steal local files or by bypassing network security remotely. While most data breaches are attributed to hacking or malware attacks, other breach methods include insider leaks, payment card fraud, loss or theft of physical hard drives containing files, and human error.

Here’s What To Do Now

Think you have a better grasp on why you’re on the MATCH List? Or perhaps you are even more confused than before?

Luckily, there are a few things you can do. You do not have to put up with waiting five years to get back to business. You can either try to become a high-risk merchant or seek early removal through legal help and save yourself a ton of money, headache, and lengthy contracts.

Become a High-Risk Merchant

Becoming a high-risk processor has many drawbacks. Here they are:

• You will pay hefty fines that cut into your bottom line
• You will be locked into lengthy contracts that are difficult to get out of, even if you eventually get downgraded back to low-risk
• There is no guarantee that you will be able to accept card payments again.

Many processors do not want to work with high-risk merchants on the MATCH List, which is why the blacklist exists.

If you are on the MATCH List or highly suspect you are, it is important to work quickly. Time is of the essence. Don’t waste your time with high-risk processors; seek early removal instead.

Seek Early Removal

Do you have to wait the full five years to get off the MATCH List?

No!

Do you have to become a high-risk merchant just because the MATCH List says you are?

No!

Can you go back to business quickly and easily?

Yes!

If you are ready to clear your name, get off the MATCH List, and end this nightmare once and for all, we are here for you.

Navigating the waters of merchant law is choppy, and we are extremely successful in helping our clients.

Early MATCH List Removal with TFM Law

If you have found yourself on the Match List, you have options. Don’t wait the five-year period, get back to business ASAP.

The Law Offices of Theodore Monroe focuses on litigation and counseling in the areas of payments, credit card processing, e-commerce, direct response marketing, and Federal Trade Commission enforcement.

Last year, the firm removed 100% of the people who came to us from the MATCH list.

Theodore F. Monroe, Founder of TFM Law, has successfully:

• Represented merchants recovering funds from processors
• Structured processing relationships to comply with Card Brand requirements
• Drafted and negotiated contracts involving payment facilitators and ISOs
• Represented continuity merchants in compliance and litigation issues
• Fought for numerous companies in suits brought by the Federal Trade Commission and obtained excellent results for firms in the digital products, loan modification, government grant, and nutraceuticals industries

Before opening his firm, Mr. Monroe practiced law with Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May (now Reed Smith LLP) and Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard (now Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith), where he defended numerous accounting and law firms in professional liability actions, and insurance carriers in bad faith actions.

Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Monroe worked as a forensic accountant at Coopers & Lybrand, which provided him with a unique background in forensic accounting and financial analysis among litigators in Los Angeles. Mr. Monroe studied at Duke University Law School, achieved a BS with Honors in Accounting from the University of Kentucky, and is a member of the California State Bar and the Kentucky State Bar.