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:
- Merchant collusion
- Fraud
- Money laundering
References
- ^“Visa Acquirer Risk Program Standards Guide” (PDF).
- ^MasterCard API