MasterCard Rules (PDF)

Chapter 5 Merchants
This chapter contains information about Acquirer and Merchant obligations and Card
acceptance requirements.
5.1 The Merchant Agreement......................................................................................................... 5-1
5.1.1 Verify Bona Fide Business Operation.............................................................................. 5-1
5.1.2 Required Terms............................................................................................................... 5-1
5.1.2.1 Payment Facilitators................................................................................................ 5-2
5.1.2.2 Gambling Merchants .............................................................................................. 5-2
5.1.3 Assessments for Merchant Agreement Noncompliance................................................... 5-2
5.2 Acquirer Obligations ................................................................................................................ 5-3
5.2.1 Acquiring Transactions.................................................................................................... 5-3
5.2.2 Merchant and Sub-merchant Compliance with the Standards ......................................... 5-3
5.2.3 Merchant Information...................................................................................................... 5-3
5.2.4 Payments to Merchants ................................................................................................... 5-3
5.2.5 Supplying Materials ......................................................................................................... 5-4
5.3 Merchant Monitoring................................................................................................................ 5-4
5.4 Use of a Payment Facilitator .................................................................................................... 5-4
5.4.1 Responsibility for Payment Facilitator and Sub-merchant Activity .................................. 5-4
5.4.2 High-Risk Payment Facilitators........................................................................................ 5-5
5.4.3 Registration Requirements for Payment Facilitators......................................................... 5-6
5.5 Payment Facilitator Obligations ............................................................................................... 5-7
5.5.1 Sub-merchant Screening Procedures ............................................................................... 5-8
5.5.2 MATCH Inquiry Required................................................................................................ 5-8
5.5.3 Sub-merchant Agreement................................................................................................ 5-8
5.5.3.1 Required Provisions................................................................................................ 5-9
5.5.4 Obligations as Sponsor of Sub-merchants..................................................................... 5-10
5.5.4.1 Submit Valid Transactions..................................................................................... 5-10
5.5.4.2 Sub-merchant Compliance with the Standards ..................................................... 5-10
5.5.4.3 Maintaining Sub-merchant Information ................................................................ 5-10
5.5.4.4 Payments to Sub-merchants ................................................................................. 5-11
5.5.4.5 Supplying Materials to Sub-merchants.................................................................. 5-11
5.5.4.6 Sub-merchant Monitoring ..................................................................................... 5-11
5.6 Merchant Identification and Responsibility for Transactions.................................................. 5-11
5.7 Use of the Marks.................................................................................................................... 5-12
5.7.1 Merchants Must Display the MasterCard Acceptance Mark ........................................... 5-12
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MasterCard Rules • 12 December 2012 5-i