How did I get on MATCH?
All It Takes Is One
Getting on MATCH is much easier than getting off of it. A payment processor – and in some cases, card brands and acquiring banks – can TMF you or place you on the MATCH list for a number of reasons.
MasterCard lists 13 examples of why a merchant may be listed on MATCH:
- Account Data Compromise
- Common Points of Purchase
- Laundering
- Excessive Chargebacks
- Excessive Fraud
- Fraud Conviction
- MasterCard Questionable Merchant Audit Program
- Bankruptcy/Liquidation/Insolvency
- Violation of MasterCard or Brand Standards
- Merchant Collusion
- PCI Data Security Standard Non-compliance
- Illegal Transactions
- Identity Theft
A Mandatory Penalty
If an acquirer has reason to believe that a merchant has committed one of these acts, the acquirer must add the merchant to the MATCH list. Under the card brand rules, adding the merchant is typically mandatory.
MasterCard and VISA stipulate that acquirers must report a merchant for listing on MATCH within days of terminating that merchant if the acquirer suspects that the merchant has done any of the following:
- Suffered a data breach
- Failed to comply with PCI DSS
- Engaged in credit card laundering, fraudulent activity or other illegal transactions
- Violated MasterCard standards
- Engaged in conduct that threatens the MasterCard brand and reputation
- Exceeded monthly chargeback thresholds
MATCH List FAQs
Theodore F Monroe answers the most commonly asked questions about Mastercard’s MATCH List.