Also called: Member Alert to Control High-risk Merchants, Terminated Merchant File (TMF), TMF
What the MATCH List is
MATCH stands for Member Alert to Control High-risk Merchants. Mastercard operates this screening database for acquirers. It records businesses whose merchant account an acquirer terminated for a defined reason. The former name was the Terminated Merchant File, or TMF.
A listing is an acquirer’s report. It is not a credit file, a regulator finding, or the result of a hearing. The record includes your legal business name and DBA, contact and tax details, account dates, and a reason code. It also includes identifying information about principals, who are screened along with the business.
The MATCH List does not ban you from processing, but a five-year record can make a new account much harder to secure.
How a business gets listed
Acquirers check MATCH before approving a new merchant account and report qualifying terminations. Mastercard rules give the acquirer five calendar days from the earlier of its termination decision or receiving your termination notice to add a record. The reporting deadline runs from the notice, not from when processing stops.
Reason codes cover specific events, including excessive chargebacks (code 04), excessive fraud (code 05), PCI DSS non-compliance (code 12), and illegal transactions (code 13). For code 04, chargebacks in one calendar month must exceed 1% of Mastercard sales transactions and total at least $5,000. Code 05 applies when monthly fraud volume reaches 8% of sales, with at least 10 fraudulent transactions totaling $5,000 or more.
What it means for your business
A MATCH record does not legally prevent you from accepting cards, but it creates a serious obstacle when you apply for a new merchant account. A declined application can interrupt card sales. If a specialist provider offers an account, read the terms for higher processing rates, a rolling reserve, a monthly volume cap, or tighter dispute limits. These are provider terms, not a fee charged by the MATCH database.
There is no MATCH line on your merchant statement described in the listing rules, and the research identifies no standard MATCH fee. The practical cost is the effect on access to processing and the terms you are offered.
How long a listing lasts
Listings are automatically purged after five years. Before then, only the acquirer that reported you can modify or delete the record. Early correction is limited to a listing made in error or a code 12 listing after you become fully PCI DSS compliant and the reporting acquirer verifies it.
There is no general requirement to notify you that a listing was added. Ask the acquirer that closed your account, in writing, whether it reported you and for the reason code and listing date. If you do not know which acquirer reported you, Mastercard provides a business-owner contact at matchbusinessowner@mastercard.com.
What you can actually change
- Get the code. Write to the acquirer that terminated your account and request the MATCH reason code, listing date, and a copy of the information it reported.
- Document a dispute. If the record is wrong, send the reporting acquirer supporting records in writing. Only that acquirer can correct or remove its listing before the five-year purge.
- Fix the cause. For a code 12 listing, complete PCI DSS requirements and give the reporting acquirer evidence so it can verify compliance. For other codes, address the specific conduct behind the termination.
- Disclose your history. Tell prospective providers about the termination and listed principals. A new company does not avoid screening when a principal is listed.
Frequently asked questions
Does being on the MATCH List mean I cannot accept card payments?
No. A MATCH listing is not a legal ban on card acceptance. It makes new account approval difficult because acquirers screen applications against the database, and some providers decline listed applicants.
How do I find out whether my business is on the MATCH List?
Ask the acquirer that terminated your account whether it reported you, and request the reason code and listing date in writing. If you do not know the reporting acquirer, email matchbusinessowner@mastercard.com.
Can I get removed from the MATCH List early?
Only the acquirer that added the record can modify or delete it before the five-year purge. Early removal is limited to a listing made in error or a code 12 PCI DSS listing after verified compliance.
Does MATCH charge a fee or appear on my statement?
The research identifies no standard MATCH fee and no MATCH statement line. The financial impact comes from difficulty securing processing and from provider terms such as higher rates, reserves, or volume limits.