How to Get Off
MATCH List

We help protect your reputation.

MATCH – Member-Alert-To-Control-High-Risk – is a database of previously terminated merchants (and their principals) maintained by MasterCard Worldwide, and relied upon by the payment brands to screen and regulate merchant access to the payments system.

Card Brand rules require an acquirer to report a merchant for listing on MATCH immediately following any decision to terminate the merchant processing relationship – if the acquirer has reason to believe that the merchant:

• Suffered a data breach
• Failed to comply with PCI DSS
• Engaged in credit card laundering, fraudulent activity, or other illegal transactions
• Violated MasterCard standards or engaged in conduct that threatens the MasterCard brand and reputation
• Exceeded monthly chargeback thresholds
• Reporting is mandatory if the merchant is terminated for: credit or debit card fraud; depositing excessive counterfeit or unauthorized transactions; laundering transactions; or generating excessive chargebacks.

If you land on MATCH you remain on the list until the listing is automatically deleted from MATCH after five years.

How does this affect you?

Card Brand Rules require acquirers to check the MATCH list before signing any processing agreement with a merchant. Most acquirers consider a MATCH listing to be a badge of infamy, and they’ll flatly reject any merchant on the list. The small group of more risk-tolerant acquirers will extend processing services at much higher discount rates. You will be subject to greater scrutiny, increased monitoring, and post substantial reserves (delayed access to funds).

How can you get off the MATCH list?

MasterCard will remove a merchant when the acquirer reports that it added the merchant in error. Acquirers are loath to take that step, however, because they face liability to subsequent acquirers for losses caused by any merchant they should have placed on – or improperly removed from – the MATCH list. It is no easy task to get off this list. But it can be accomplished through diligent advocacy in some cases.