Mastercard SPME §9.4.5 · May 2023 → Sep 2023

Skill Games Merchants

substantive
⚠ Extraction warning — review against source PDF. One side of the Mastercard SPME text below appears to contain only the page-running header, not body content. This usually means the section heading fell on a page boundary and the body was attributed to a neighbouring section in the source PDF. The AI summary and proposed edit below may be misleading. Verify in: May 2023 · page 109 ↗ · Sep 2023 · page 101 ↗.

The update emphasizes that the Acquirer must explicitly confirm it will not submit Restricted Transactions from the Merchant and requires Mastercard approval before processing any skill games transactions for the Merchant or related entities.

Sources Mastercard SPME · May 2023 · page 109 PDF Mastercard SPME · Sep 2023 · page 101 PDF KYB Acquirer current
Also in §9.x this release substantive §9.2 General Registration Requirements substantive §9.3 General Monitoring Requirements substantive §9.4.1 Non-face-to-face Adult Content and Services Merchants substantive §9.4.8 High-Risk Securities Merchants substantive §9.4.9 Cryptocurrency Merchants
Why these edits? The updated requirement that the Acquirer must explicitly affirm it will not submit Restricted Transactions and must obtain Mastercard approval before processing skill games transactions affects Acquirer KYB obligations, as they must verify merchant eligibility and compliance prior to registration and transaction processing.
Mastercard SPME §9.4.5
This section was substantively restructured between versions (22% text overlap). Compare the texts directly below.
Before · May 2023 · page 109

Security Rules and Procedures—Merchant Edition • 7 February 2023

After · Sep 2023 · page 101

Security Rules and Procedures—Merchant Edition • 1 August 2023

  1. Acceptance of responsibilities. The Acquirer must specifically affirm that it will not submit Restricted Transactions (as defined in the Internet Gambling Policy) from the Merchant for authorization. Mastercard must approve the registration request before the Acquirer may process any skill games Transactions for the Merchant, Sponsored Merchant, or other entity.
Halyard Pay · 2 files
program: Acquirer KYB
- authority: Mastercard SPME 2.1, 11.2.6
+ authority: Mastercard SPME 2.1, 11.2.6, 5
required_documents:
- incorporation
- beneficial_ownership
- aml_screen
- license_verification
min_review_cycle_days: 365
suspension_trigger: document_collection_failure
record_retention_years: 7
aml_watchlist_sources:
- ofac_sdn
- eu_consolidated
agent_owner: kyb_agent
# The Acquirer must specifically retain all MATCH records concerning any Merchant, Sponsored Merchant, or ATM owner for at least two years following the termination or expiration of the related agreement, per Mastercard SPME 11.2.6.
- # This retention requirement updates prior guidance by imposing a defined minimum retention period beyond the MATCH system's internal data purging schedule.
+ #
+ # Additionally, per Mastercard SPME §5, the Acquirer must explicitly affirm that Restricted Transactions, including those defined under the Internet Gambling Policy, will not be submitted from the Merchant for authorization.
+ # Mastercard approval is required prior to processing any skill games Transactions for the Merchant, Sponsored Merchant, or other entity. This affirmation and approval step must be incorporated in merchant due diligence and registration processes.

Acquirer KYB (Know Your Business) Obligations

Acquirers processing transactions on the Mastercard network are required to perform

Know Your Business (KYB) due diligence on merchants before onboarding and on a

recurring basis thereafter. Halyard Pay, as an acquirer, must collect and verify a

minimum set of documents for each merchant to establish business legitimacy, confirm

beneficial ownership, and satisfy anti-money laundering screening requirements.

When this policy applies

This policy applies to all new merchant onboarding and to all periodic re-verification

reviews. Merchants that fail to supply required documentation within the stipulated

period must be suspended from processing until compliance is restored.

Required actions

  1. Collect all required KYB documents at onboarding prior to approval.

  2. Conduct AML screening against applicable watchlists before approval.

  3. Verify business licenses for regulated merchant categories.

  4. Specifically confirm and document that the merchant will not submit Restricted Transactions as defined by Mastercard's Internet Gambling Policy.

5. Obtain explicit Mastercard approval before processing skill games transactions for the merchant or related entities.

6. Schedule a full re-verification review at least once every 365 days.

5. 7. Document all verification outcomes and retain records for audit purposes.

6. 8. Retain all MATCH system records related to Merchants, Sponsored Merchants, or ATM owners for a minimum of two years after termination or expiration of the applicable agreement, to comply with Mastercard's explicit record retention requirements.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME ��������2.1, §§2.1, 5, 9.4.5, 11.2.6.

policies/kyb_acquirer/policy.md — after applying change

Acquirer KYB (Know Your Business) Obligations

Acquirers processing transactions on the Mastercard network are required to perform

Know Your Business (KYB) due diligence on merchants before onboarding and on a

recurring basis thereafter. Halyard Pay, as an acquirer, must collect and verify a

minimum set of documents for each merchant to establish business legitimacy, confirm

beneficial ownership, and satisfy anti-money laundering screening requirements.

When this policy applies

This policy applies to all new merchant onboarding and to all periodic re-verification

reviews. Merchants that fail to supply required documentation within the stipulated

period must be suspended from processing until compliance is restored.

Required actions

  1. Collect all required KYB documents at onboarding prior to approval.

  2. Conduct AML screening against applicable watchlists before approval.

  3. Verify business licenses for regulated merchant categories.

  4. Specifically confirm and document that the merchant will not submit Restricted Transactions as defined by Mastercard's Internet Gambling Policy.

5. Obtain explicit Mastercard approval before processing skill games transactions for the merchant or related entities.

6. Schedule a full re-verification review at least once every 365 days.

5. 7. Document all verification outcomes and retain records for audit purposes.

6. 8. Retain all MATCH system records related to Merchants, Sponsored Merchants, or ATM owners for a minimum of two years after termination or expiration of the applicable agreement, to comply with Mastercard's explicit record retention requirements.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME ��������2.1, §§2.1, 5, 9.4.5, 11.2.6.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME §9.4.5.

--- a/policies/kyb_acquirer/rules.yaml
+++ b/policies/kyb_acquirer/rules.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 program: Acquirer KYB
-authority: Mastercard SPME 2.1, 11.2.6
+authority: Mastercard SPME 2.1, 11.2.6, 5
 required_documents:
   - incorporation
   - beneficial_ownership
@@ -13,4 +13,6 @@
   - eu_consolidated
 agent_owner: kyb_agent
 # The Acquirer must specifically retain all MATCH records concerning any Merchant, Sponsored Merchant, or ATM owner for at least two years following the termination or expiration of the related agreement, per Mastercard SPME 11.2.6.
-# This retention requirement updates prior guidance by imposing a defined minimum retention period beyond the MATCH system's internal data purging schedule.+#
+# Additionally, per Mastercard SPME §5, the Acquirer must explicitly affirm that Restricted Transactions, including those defined under the Internet Gambling Policy, will not be submitted from the Merchant for authorization.
+# Mastercard approval is required prior to processing any skill games Transactions for the Merchant, Sponsored Merchant, or other entity. This affirmation and approval step must be incorporated in merchant due diligence and registration processes.

--- a/policies/kyb_acquirer/policy.md
+++ b/policies/kyb_acquirer/policy.md
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@
 1. Collect all required KYB documents at onboarding prior to approval.
 2. Conduct AML screening against applicable watchlists before approval.
 3. Verify business licenses for regulated merchant categories.
-4. Schedule a full re-verification review at least once every 365 days.
-5. Document all verification outcomes and retain records for audit purposes.
-6. Retain all MATCH system records related to Merchants, Sponsored Merchants, or ATM owners for a minimum of two years after termination or expiration of the applicable agreement, to comply with Mastercard's explicit record retention requirements.
+4. Specifically confirm and document that the merchant will not submit Restricted Transactions as defined by Mastercard's Internet Gambling Policy.
+5. Obtain explicit Mastercard approval before processing skill games transactions for the merchant or related entities.
+6. Schedule a full re-verification review at least once every 365 days.
+7. Document all verification outcomes and retain records for audit purposes.
+8. Retain all MATCH system records related to Merchants, Sponsored Merchants, or ATM owners for a minimum of two years after termination or expiration of the applicable agreement, to comply with Mastercard's explicit record retention requirements.
 
-Source authority: Mastercard SPME 2.1, 11.2.6.+Source authority: Mastercard SPME §§2.1, 5, 9.4.5, 11.2.6.