Glossary
MATCH list
Mastercard's database of merchants terminated for cause, such as excessive chargebacks, fraud or laundering. A listing names the business and its owners, lasts 5 years and blocks most new merchant accounts.
Also called: MATCH, terminated merchant file, TMF, Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants.
Acquirers must check every applicant against MATCH and must report a merchant they terminate for one of its reason codes. Code 4, excessive chargebacks, needs only Mastercard chargebacks over 1% of sales transactions and at least $5,000 in the same month. The entry stores the business's name, address, phone, tax ID and URL, and the same for the principal owner.
Only the acquirer that filed an entry can remove it, and only in narrow cases such as an error. Closing the account yourself doesn't prevent a listing. Visa runs a similar list, VMSS, also for 5 years.
Stripe says a MATCH or VMSS listing "generally disqualifies" a merchant. For an advertiser, one bad month of traffic can follow the owners into every future application.
Related terms: Merchant account, Chargeback, VAMP, Acquirer.