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If you're a high-risk merchant or have experienced account terminations, you may have heard of the MATCH List. This Mastercard-maintained database can significantly obstruct your ability to secure merchant services, making it crucial to understand how it works.
This guide covers everything about the MATCH List, including:
- What the MATCH list is
- How merchants end up on it
- The consequences of being listed
- How to get off of it
- Your payment processing options while you are on the list
Let’s dive deeper into the MATCH list and refine our understanding of how to navigate the issues that may arise for your business as a result.
What Is the MATCH List?
The MATCH List (Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants), formerly known as the Terminated Merchant File (TMF), is a comprehensive database maintained by Mastercard. It is a master blacklist that contains information about merchants whose accounts have been terminated or deemed very high-risk by payment processors within the last five years.
The list serves as a central resource for acquiring partners and payment processors to screen potential clients and determine whether they've had merchant accounts terminated in the past and why those terminations occurred. For merchants seeking credit card processing, it essentially means that no traditional payment processor will consider you for services.
The MATCH list also labels these merchants with the following reason codes:
MATCH List Reason Codes
A few of these reason codes represent actions that are illegal or represent clear violations of law or relevant regulations, meaning merchants included as a result of them have an understanding of why they are on it. Unfortunately, some of the most common reasons aren’t nearly so cut-and-dry, and totally legitimate businesses may end up on the MATCH list. Let’s discuss those and what can be done to mitigate them.
How Legitimate Merchants End Up on the MATCH List
The most common reason merchants are added to the MATCH List is excessive chargebacks. When your chargeback rate exceeds 1% of your total monthly transactions with at least $5,000 in chargeback volume, you may be flagged for inclusion.
Other reasons include:
- Fraud-related activities with fraud-to-sales ratios exceeding 8%
- PCI-DSS non-compliance by failing to meet data security standards
- Account data breaches compromising customer information
- Illegal transactions or processing prohibited goods or services
- Identity theft when the merchant's identity is compromised
Importantly, some merchants end up on the MATCH List due to circumstances beyond their control, such as data breaches or instances of identity theft where they are victims rather than perpetrators. Chargebacks and higher fraud rates can also be unintentional outcomes, leaving many legitimate merchants without service.
When an acquiring bank terminates a merchant account for any qualifying reason, Mastercard requires that bank to add the merchant to the MATCH List within one day of termination.
Consequences of Being on the MATCH List
These consequences can take a significant toll on a merchant, especially those with high transaction volumes (>$50,000 monthly). These merchants are more likely to end up on the list in the first place, and the financial impact is generally far more severe.
Getting Off the MATCH List
Once on the MATCH List, removal options are limited:
- PCI-DSS Compliance Path: If you were listed for reason code 11 (PCI-DSS non-compliance), achieving full PCI compliance may qualify you for removal.
- Five-Year Waiting Period: For many reason codes, the only path to removal is waiting five years. After this period, you'll automatically fall off the MATCH List and can apply for merchant accounts normally.
- Appeal Process: If you believe you were added by mistake, contact the financial institution that listed you directly. They can petition Mastercard for your removal if they determine the listing was in error. Having a reputable payment processor with the expertise and willingness to assist you in this process can be extremely valuable.
Unlike some other financial blacklists, there's no standard process for early removal from the MATCH List, regardless of improved business practices.
Obtaining Merchant Services While on the MATCH List
Being on the MATCH List doesn't make it impossible to process payments, but it does require working with specialized providers who understand high-risk merchants. That being said, not all high-risk payment providers are specialists, and these services are generally more expensive than traditional payment processing.
There are a few ways to reduce the financial impact by selecting the right payment processor and improving your payment operations:
The best next steps after landing on the MATCH list are finding payment processors with the right expertise and list of features, and improving the issues that got you on the list in the first place.
Choose SeamlessChex for MATCH List Merchant Accounts
At SeamlessChex, we specialize in working with high-risk merchants and understand the unique challenges faced by businesses on the MATCH List. We recognize that placement on the list doesn't necessarily reflect current business practices and that many merchants deserve a second chance.
Our approach includes:
- Individual Assessment: We evaluate each merchant's specific situation rather than applying blanket criteria to every application.
- Chargeback Protection: Our services include advanced chargeback management tools, such as Rapid Dispute Resolution and chargeback interception, to help prevent future issues.
- Competitive Rates: We offer fair pricing without the exorbitant fees many high-risk processors charge, and flexible fee structures that allow businesses to reduce their financial burden.
- Compliance Support: We are fully PCI-DSS compliant, and offer dedicated account managers for every client to help merchants maintain the standards necessary to avoid future MATCH List placement
Ready to restore your payment processing capabilities? Apply now to learn how SeamlessChex can help your business move forward despite MATCH List challenges.
