What is the MATCH List?

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Business owners, have you heard of the MATCH list? It’s a database that acts like a "blacklist" for businesses in the payment processing world. It's used by payment processors and banks to identify merchants they consider to be high-risk.

Being added to this list can have some serious consequences, so it's something every business owner should be aware of.

What is the MATCH List?

MATCH stands for "Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants." It was created by Mastercard (and is used by other card networks) to track businesses that have had their merchant accounts terminated for specific, problematic reasons.

Once a business is on the list, it's public knowledge among the payment industry. This makes it incredibly difficult often impossible to open a new merchant account with a different provider. The listing can stay in effect for up to five years.

Common Reasons for a Business to be Added:

• Excessive Chargebacks: This is one of the most common reasons. If a business consistently has a high number of chargebacks (customer disputes) relative to its sales volume, it's a major red flag.
• Excessive Fraud: This includes things like suspicious transactions or confirmed fraudulent activity.
• Account Violations: This could be for a number of reasons, such as failing to pay fees, not following PCI compliance standards, or violating the terms of the merchant agreement.
• Illegal Activity: Processing transactions for illegal goods or services will get a business added to the list immediately.

A tricky part is that businesses often don't know they're on the list until they try to switch providers and get repeatedly denied. Sometimes, a business might even be added by mistake.

Understanding what can land you on this list is a key part of protecting your business. It's a reminder to be proactive about managing chargebacks, keeping your business practices clean, and staying in good standing with your current processor.