Finance & Loans

What is the Terminated Merchant File, or MATCH file?

If you thought applying for a merchant account was difficult, try maintaining one in the world of fraud and regular chargebacks. While many people struggle to get approved for merchant accounts, others are worried they might lose their merchant account status and get listed in the Terminated Merchant File, or TMF. What is the TMF? And how can you avoid getting on the list?

Now called the MATCH file, the Terminated Merchant File is a document that features businesses and their principals who have terminated merchant accounts. It’s important to note that the TMS does not exist anymore, and the same data is now found in the MATCH file.

Essentially, the MATCH file includes high-risk accounts that have been closed by the merchant account provider. Why would a merchant account provider, bank, or credit card company close your merchant account? There are several reasons. One is that you had too many chargebacks on your file. Whether the chargebacks were legitimate, or bank errors, having too many on your record can result in getting blacklisted on the MATCH file. MATCH stands for Member Alert to Control High-Risk. Companies such as SolidTrustPay have access to the MATCH file. However, it’s good to know that Solid Trust Pay specializes in providing merchants accounts to high-risk businesses, including those who might have been listed in the MATCH file.