The MATCH List And Why You Do Not Want To Be On It
The MATCH List, or TMF list, is something that no merchant wants to be on. This is the list that you are placed on when your merchant account is terminated, and it alerts future merchant account processors that you may have issues. While there are numerous reasons for terminating a merchant account, the majority of the industry only looks at the fact that the account was involuntarily closed, and not at the actual reason. This can leave many legitimate, successful businesses in a jam.
Every merchant account processor uses the MATCH list, and while it lends a helping hand to those who are hesitant to secure troublesome merchants, it can hurt merchants who are placed on the list due to their “high risk” labeling. “High risk” merchants can range from those with credit issues, to adult toy merchants, to even e-cig merchants. Most of these merchants are labeled as much due to the type of industry they are in, and these are legitimate industries. They simply have a higher percentage of fraudulent claims and chargebacks, which can cause merchant account providers to panic and terminate the accounts.
If you have been placed on this list, or are at risk of being placed on it, you should look at your payment processing options. If you have already been placed on the list, you need to contact your former processor and ask the reason why. This can help you better your search for a new processor. A good place to start is searching for a TMF merchant account processor, such as HRG. A TMF merchant account provider can provide you with a reliable merchant account, even though you may have increased risks of fraudulent claims and chargebacks. It is always a good idea to be upfront about the fact that you have been placed on the MATCH List, and that you can provide your prospective merchant account provider with documentation, if necessary. Being upfront about your situation helps you and your prospective merchant account provider start off on the right foot.
