MasterCard Rules (PDF)

3.8 Authorization Service
Customer Obligations
3.8 Authorization Service
Each Principal and Association must provide, at its own expense and with
respect to Cards issued by the Principal and Association and any Affiliate
Sponsored by the Principal and Association, authorization services that comply
with the Standards.
Each Principal and Association must provide, at its own expense and with
respect to Merchants of the Principal and Association and any Affiliate
Sponsored by the Principal and Association, adequate and reasonable
authorization services that comply with the Standards and each such Merchant
must be instructed as to the proper use of such authorization services so as to
ensure that Cards are accepted or refused and that Transactions are effected or
refused in compliance with the Standards.
NOTE
Additions to this Rule appear in Chapter 12, “Europe Region Rules.”
3.8.1 Selective Authorization
Without the express prior written approval of the Corporation, a Customer
may not launch or maintain a Card Program that has the effect of selectively
authorizing Transactions or cash disbursement transactions arising from use of
the Program Cards at only a subset of MasterCard acceptance locations. A
Customer is not prohibited from authorizing or declining individual Transactions
or cash disbursement transactions based on:
1. The amount of funds or credit available;
2. Fraud or credit risks presented by individual Cardholder usage patterns;
3. Cash access restrictions to manage a secured or high risk account;
4. Cardholder-designated restrictions on use; or
5. Any other restriction on use the Corporation may permit.
NOTE
Additions to this Rule appear in Section 11a, “Canada Region Code of Conduct >>
Related Rules.”
3.8.2 Authorization Routing
An Acquirer must be capable of recognizing all active MasterCard bank
identification numbers (BINs) for purposes of obtaining Transaction
authorization, and obtain such authorization on behalf of each of its Merchants
as the Standards require.
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MasterCard Rules • 12 December 2012 3-15