Terminated merchant file

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A terminated merchant file (TMF) is a tool used by credit card processing companies to screen potential merchants before giving them a merchant account. [1] In the case of Mastercard and American Express it is known as the MATCH list. [2]

The terminated merchant files are shared among processors and act as blacklists, where merchants with high-risk accounts or excessive chargebacks are put on the list and prevented from opening an account with a different credit card processor.

Other reasons for being put on a terminated merchant file include:

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References

  1. "Visa Acquirer Risk Program Standards Guide" (PDF).
  2. MasterCard API [ dead link ]