Approval problem

MATCH List Merchant Account Recovery

Mastercard MATCH (Member Alert to Control High Risk) — also called TMF, Terminated Merchant File — is a shared blacklist of merchants previously terminated by an acquirer. Placement is harder, not impossible. We work with specialist acquirers who underwrite MATCH-flagged files every week.

  • Direct placement at MATCH-friendly acquirers (no fake 'guaranteed approval')
  • Honest pricing — typically 4.95%–6.95% with 10% rolling reserve
  • 5–10 business day approval timeline
  • No upfront fees, no application fees, no 'membership' fees
  • Rehab path: clean 6–12 months → step down to standard high-risk pricing
  • Domestic + offshore placement options
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What triggers this status

You land on MATCH when a previous acquirer terminated your MID for one of 14 reason codes — most commonly excessive chargebacks (code 04), fraud (08), or violation of operating regulations (12). The listing stays for 5 years and is visible to every acquirer who runs a MATCH check during underwriting (essentially all of them).

MATCH itself is not a denial — it's a flag that triggers deeper review. Acquirers who specialize in high-risk MATCH placement look at the reason code, the time since listing, current chargeback ratio, and the operational changes you've made since the termination event.

What underwriters look at

Reason code matters most

Code 04 (chargebacks) and 12 (compliance) are routinely placeable. Code 08 (fraud) is the hardest.

Time since listing

30+ days post-listing is workable. Same-week placements are not — the new acquirer wants to see what changed.

Current operational fix

What you've changed: chargeback prevention tools, refund policy, fulfillment, or descriptor.

New file metrics

Last 90 days of processing on whatever you've been running since — even an aggregator account works as a reference.

What we need to rebuild your file

  • MATCH listing notification (if you received one) or termination letter
  • Written explanation of the reason for termination + remediation
  • Last 3 months bank statements
  • Last 3 months processing if available
  • Current website with updated refund + compliance language
  • Articles / EIN / voided check
  • Government ID for all 25%+ owners

Path back to approval

The path back is: specialist acquirer + transparent disclosure + operational fix. Don't hide the MATCH listing — every acquirer runs the check, and a hidden listing turns approval into termination on day 1. Disclose, explain what changed, and let the underwriter price it.

Pricing starts around 4.95% – 6.95% + $0.30 with 10% rolling reserve for 180 days. After 6–12 months of clean processing, we re-shop your file at standard high-risk pricing.

Anyone promising "MATCH removal" for an upfront fee is running a scam — MATCH listings are removable only by the original acquirer that listed you, and only for documented error. The legitimate path is placement at an acquirer who underwrites the flag, not removal of the flag itself.

Approval timeline

  1. 1
    Soft pre-qualification (same day)

    We review the MATCH reason code and your remediation story before any document collection.

  2. 2
    Disclosure narrative (1–2 days)

    We help you write the underwriter-facing explanation of what happened and what changed.

  3. 3
    Underwriting (5–10 business days)

    MATCH-flagged files get extra scrutiny. The narrative + current metrics drive the decision.

  4. 4
    MID live + 6-month rehab

    Process clean for 6–12 months, then we re-shop your file at standard high-risk pricing.

Frequently asked questions

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