A merchant’s information will be removed from the MATCH list if no new entries are entered within five years. If an acquirer alleges a merchant was added in error, MasterCard will remove the merchant from the network. However, acquirers are cautious about taking this action for fear of being held accountable to subsequent acquirers for losses caused by any merchant that they should have added to or inadvertently deleted from the MATCH list. In certain cases, you may be able to get your name removed from this list with enough time and work put in, but it is not a simple task. Here are simple ways to get off the TMF list.
How to get off the TMF list?
Removal from the TMF list prior to the end of the five-year period is possible only under the following two conditions:
- On behalf of the merchant, the acquirer contacts Mastercard to inform them of the incorrect initial addition.
- The merchant was previously flagged for noncompliance with PCI-DSS (Match list Mastercard reason code 12) but is now in compliance.
A merchant’s name may remain on the TMF or Match List for a long time if the listing was the result of fraudulent activity, for example. Only the processing bank that added you to the TMF can take your name off of the list, so your only option is to contact them and attempt to work out whatever problem resulted in your listing. If you think your TMF or Match listing is inaccurate, you can also hire a lawyer who focuses on such cases. If you don’t cancel within five years, your listing won’t be removed.
During those five years, high-risk merchants can still accept credit card payments, but they must sign a payment processing arrangement with an acquirer that is willing to take on the additional risk. If the business is taken from the TMF list, it can once again accept payments.
