Halyard Pay · Policy Updates Powered by Carver Agents

Mastercard SPME §8.9.1 · Sep 2023 → Feb 2024

MMP Participation Requirements

substantive

A new section was added specifying that Acquirers must register the MMSP as their Service Provider, submit all required Merchant information to the MMSP for monitoring, and ensure continuous monitoring of Merchant activity to detect violations related to BRAM content and transaction laundering.

Sources Mastercard SPME · Sep 2023 PDF Mastercard SPME · Feb 2024 · page 93 PDF Content Moderation current
Also in §8.x this release breaking §8.6.5 Chargeback Responsibility substantive §8.4 Questionable Merchant Audit Program (QMAP) substantive §8.4.2 Mastercard Commencement of an Investigation substantive §8.4.3 of this manual, or substantive §8.4.6 Mastercard Determination substantive §8.4.8 Fraud Recovery substantive §8.6 Coercion Program substantive §8.6.1 Issuer Submissions substantive §8.6.2 Investigation Process substantive §8.6.7 Franchise Management Program (FMP) Questionnaire-based Review substantive §8.7.1 Definitions substantive §8.7.3 Mastercard Notification to Acquirers substantive §8.8 Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) Program substantive §8.8.1 BRAM Investigation Process substantive §8.8.2 Acquirer Response Requirements substantive §8.8.4 Noncompliance Assessment Mitigation substantive §8.9 Merchant Monitoring Program (MMP)
Why these edits? The new obligations in section 8.9.1 require Acquirers to engage with the MMSP to monitor Merchant activity specifically for BRAM content violations, directly impacting the Content Moderation policy which covers BRAM Brand Integrity.
Mastercard SPME §8.9.1
This section was substantively restructured between versions (0% text overlap). Compare the texts directly below.
Before · Sep 2023
After · Feb 2024 · page 93

To participate in the Merchant Monitoring Program, an Acquirer must:

  • Register the MMSP as its Service Provider as described in Mastercard Rules section 7.10;
  • Submit to the MMSP all Merchant information and any additional data that the MMSP deems necessary or appropriate for the successful monitoring of the particular Merchant (including the Merchant legal name, Merchant "doing business as" name, Merchant address, and all Merchant URLs);
  • Ensure that the MMSP persistently monitors each Merchant's activity for the purpose of identifying potential Merchant violations related to BRAM content, products and services and/or Merchant Transaction laundering; Mastercard Fraud Control Programs
Halyard Pay · 2 files
program: Content Moderation (BRAM)


- authority: Mastercard SPME §10.5 and §9.4.1


+ authority: Mastercard SPME §10.5, §9.4.1, and §8.9.1


prohibited_categories:


  - counterfeit_goods


  - illegal_drugs


  - adult_content_violations


  - intellectual_property_violations


  - gambling_in_restricted_jurisdictions


review_cadence: weekly


human_review_trigger_business_days: 1


confirmed_violation_action: suspend_processing


case_documentation_required: true


agent_owner: content_mod_agent


 


- # Updated to reflect Mastercard SPME §9.4.1 enhancements which require Merchants to manage flagged adult content with timely removal when consent issues arise, provide monthly detailed reports of potentially illegal content and complaints to Acquirers (and Mastercard upon request), and maintain appeal processes for content removal.


- # This supplements existing prohibitions and review cadence described under §10.5, emphasizing Merchant accountability and transparency in adult content moderation.


- # Removed outdated Merchant registration and MCC/TCC-based identification specifics previously present but no longer required.


+ # Updated to reflect Mastercard SPME §9.4.1 enhancements requiring Merchants to manage flagged adult content with timely removals, provide monthly reports to Acquirers (and Mastercard on request), and maintain appeal processes.


+ # Added Mastercard SPME §8.9.1 obligations for Acquirers to register MMSP as service providers and provide detailed Merchant data for continuous monitoring focused on BRAM content violations.


+ # These updates increase Merchant and Acquirer accountability and strengthen monitoring of Brand Integrity risks associated with BRAM content.


+ # Removed previously outdated Merchant registration and MCC/TCC-based identification specifics no longer mandated.

Content Moderation (BRAM Brand Integrity)

Mastercard's Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) program includes provisions prohibiting prohibits acquirers from processing transactions for merchants engaged in activities violating Mastercard's acceptable use standards. Halyard Pay monitors merchant storefront content and transaction data to identify and remediate prohibited content, including content such as adult content and content violating applicable laws or Mastercard's Standards. Mastercard standards.

Prohibited categories

Merchants selling or facilitating counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, unlawful adult content, intellectual property infringement, or gambling services in restricted jurisdictions are subject to face immediate review and possible suspension.

Required actions

  1. Review merchant storefront content weekly using via automated and manual methods.

  2. Flag merchants with content matching in prohibited categories for human review within one business day.

  3. Suspend processing privileges if prohibited content is confirmed.

  4. Document all findings and remediation steps.

  5. Ensure merchants comply with updated requirements to manage flagged adult content, including timely content removal upon verified complaints, providing monthly reports reporting to Acquirers on flagged content and actions taken, and enabling appeal appeals processes for content removal as detailed in per Mastercard SPME §9.4.1.

  6. Support Acquirers in obtaining temporary access to restricted merchant content if needed.

## Acquirer and MMSP Cooperation Requirements

Per Mastercard SPME §8.9.1, Halyard Pay as the Merchant Monitoring Service Provider (MMSP) requires Acquirers to register the MMSP per Mastercard Rules 7.10, provide comprehensive merchant information (including legal and trade names, addresses, and URLs) needed for monitoring, and ensure persistent monitoring of each merchant's activity to detect potential violations related to BRAM content, products and services, and merchant transaction laundering.

Note: Mastercard's Mastercard SPME has removed prior MCC and Transaction Category Code requirements and registration mandates for non-face-to-face adult content transactions but added detailed content management and reporting obligations under §9.4.1, which Halyard Pay integrates with emphasis on content management and reporting under section 9.4.1. Halyard Pay's content moderation aligns with these updates, emphasizing merchant responsibility for lawful, consented adult content and proactive merchant reporting.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME §§9.4.1, §§8.9.1, 9.4.1, 10.5.

policies/content_moderation/policy.md — after applying change

Content Moderation (BRAM Brand Integrity)

Mastercard's Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) program includes provisions prohibiting prohibits acquirers from processing transactions for merchants engaged in activities violating Mastercard's acceptable use standards. Halyard Pay monitors merchant storefront content and transaction data to identify and remediate prohibited content, including content such as adult content and content violating applicable laws or Mastercard's Standards. Mastercard standards.

Prohibited categories

Merchants selling or facilitating counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, unlawful adult content, intellectual property infringement, or gambling services in restricted jurisdictions are subject to face immediate review and possible suspension.

Required actions

  1. Review merchant storefront content weekly using via automated and manual methods.

  2. Flag merchants with content matching in prohibited categories for human review within one business day.

  3. Suspend processing privileges if prohibited content is confirmed.

  4. Document all findings and remediation steps.

  5. Ensure merchants comply with updated requirements to manage flagged adult content, including timely content removal upon verified complaints, providing monthly reports reporting to Acquirers on flagged content and actions taken, and enabling appeal appeals processes for content removal as detailed in per Mastercard SPME §9.4.1.

  6. Support Acquirers in obtaining temporary access to restricted merchant content if needed.

## Acquirer and MMSP Cooperation Requirements

Per Mastercard SPME §8.9.1, Halyard Pay as the Merchant Monitoring Service Provider (MMSP) requires Acquirers to register the MMSP per Mastercard Rules 7.10, provide comprehensive merchant information (including legal and trade names, addresses, and URLs) needed for monitoring, and ensure persistent monitoring of each merchant's activity to detect potential violations related to BRAM content, products and services, and merchant transaction laundering.

Note: Mastercard's Mastercard SPME has removed prior MCC and Transaction Category Code requirements and registration mandates for non-face-to-face adult content transactions but added detailed content management and reporting obligations under §9.4.1, which Halyard Pay integrates with emphasis on content management and reporting under section 9.4.1. Halyard Pay's content moderation aligns with these updates, emphasizing merchant responsibility for lawful, consented adult content and proactive merchant reporting.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME §§9.4.1, §§8.9.1, 9.4.1, 10.5.

Source authority: Mastercard SPME §8.9.1.

--- a/policies/content_moderation/rules.yaml
+++ b/policies/content_moderation/rules.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 program: Content Moderation (BRAM)
-authority: Mastercard SPME §10.5 and §9.4.1
+authority: Mastercard SPME §10.5, §9.4.1, and §8.9.1
 prohibited_categories:
   - counterfeit_goods
   - illegal_drugs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 case_documentation_required: true
 agent_owner: content_mod_agent
 
-# Updated to reflect Mastercard SPME §9.4.1 enhancements which require Merchants to manage flagged adult content with timely removal when consent issues arise, provide monthly detailed reports of potentially illegal content and complaints to Acquirers (and Mastercard upon request), and maintain appeal processes for content removal.
-# This supplements existing prohibitions and review cadence described under §10.5, emphasizing Merchant accountability and transparency in adult content moderation.
-# Removed outdated Merchant registration and MCC/TCC-based identification specifics previously present but no longer required.
+# Updated to reflect Mastercard SPME §9.4.1 enhancements requiring Merchants to manage flagged adult content with timely removals, provide monthly reports to Acquirers (and Mastercard on request), and maintain appeal processes.
+# Added Mastercard SPME §8.9.1 obligations for Acquirers to register MMSP as service providers and provide detailed Merchant data for continuous monitoring focused on BRAM content violations.
+# These updates increase Merchant and Acquirer accountability and strengthen monitoring of Brand Integrity risks associated with BRAM content.
+# Removed previously outdated Merchant registration and MCC/TCC-based identification specifics no longer mandated.
--- a/policies/content_moderation/policy.md
+++ b/policies/content_moderation/policy.md
@@ -1,20 +1,24 @@
 # Content Moderation (BRAM Brand Integrity)
 
-Mastercard's Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) program includes provisions prohibiting acquirers from processing transactions for merchants engaged in activities violating Mastercard's acceptable use standards. Halyard Pay monitors merchant storefront content and transaction data to identify and remediate prohibited content, including adult content and content violating laws or Mastercard's Standards.
+Mastercard's Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) program prohibits acquirers from processing transactions for merchants engaged in activities violating Mastercard's acceptable use standards. Halyard Pay monitors merchant storefront content and transaction data to identify and remediate prohibited content such as adult content and content violating applicable laws or Mastercard standards.
 
 ## Prohibited categories
 
-Merchants selling or facilitating counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, unlawful adult content, intellectual property infringement, or gambling services in restricted jurisdictions are subject to immediate review and possible suspension.
+Merchants facilitating counterfeit goods, illegal drugs, unlawful adult content, intellectual property infringement, or gambling services in restricted jurisdictions face immediate review and possible suspension.
 
 ## Required actions
 
-1. Review merchant storefront content weekly using automated and manual methods.
-2. Flag merchants with content matching prohibited categories for human review within one business day.
-3. Suspend processing privileges if prohibited content is confirmed.
-4. Document all findings and remediation steps.
-5. Ensure merchants comply with updated requirements to manage flagged adult content, including timely content removal upon verified complaints, providing monthly reports to Acquirers on flagged content and actions taken, and enabling appeal processes for content removal as detailed in Mastercard SPME §9.4.1.
+1. Review merchant storefront content weekly via automated and manual methods.
+2. Flag merchants with content in prohibited categories for human review within one business day.
+3. Suspend processing if prohibited content is confirmed.
+4. Document findings and remediation steps.
+5. Ensure merchants comply with requirements to manage flagged adult content, including timely removal upon verified complaints, monthly reporting to Acquirers on flagged content and actions taken, and appeals processes as per Mastercard SPME §9.4.1.
 6. Support Acquirers in obtaining temporary access to restricted merchant content if needed.
 
-Note: Mastercard's SPME has removed prior MCC and Transaction Category Code requirements and registration mandates for non-face-to-face adult content transactions but added detailed obligations on content management and reporting under section 9.4.1. Halyard Pay's content moderation aligns with these updates, emphasizing merchant responsibility for lawful, consented adult content and proactive reporting.
+## Acquirer and MMSP Cooperation Requirements
 
-Source authority: Mastercard SPME §§9.4.1, 10.5.
+Per Mastercard SPME §8.9.1, Halyard Pay as the Merchant Monitoring Service Provider (MMSP) requires Acquirers to register the MMSP per Mastercard Rules 7.10, provide comprehensive merchant information (including legal and trade names, addresses, and URLs) needed for monitoring, and ensure persistent monitoring of each merchant's activity to detect potential violations related to BRAM content, products and services, and merchant transaction laundering.
+
+Note: Mastercard SPME removed prior MCC and Transaction Category Code requirements and registration mandates for non-face-to-face adult content transactions but added detailed content management and reporting obligations under §9.4.1, which Halyard Pay integrates with emphasis on lawful, consented adult content and proactive merchant reporting.
+
+Source authority: Mastercard SPME §§8.9.1, 9.4.1, 10.5.