# Merchant Identifier
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/merchant-identifier/documentation/index.md

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## Overview {#overview}

The Merchant Identifier API helps enrich transaction data with detailed information about the merchant who participated in the transaction.

Mastercard's Merchant Identifier database contains information about all businesses that accept Mastercard globally.

Merchant Identifier converts unidentifiable merchant details into cleansed merchant information that financial institutions and cardholders can easily understand, allowing organizations to:

* Reduce costs associated with 'do not recognize' and 'chargeback.'
* Supplement transaction information with merchant category codes, industries and more.
* More accurately identify when to provide cardholders with rewards points or statement offers, particularly when reward attribution depends on merchant brand, industry, location, or otherwise
* Perform advanced analytics in support of marketing and operational efficiencies.

<br />

**The Merchant Identifier API offers three pathways to identify a merchant match:**

1. Descriptor Match - The descriptor endpoint in the API helps match raw merchant information to obtain cleansed merchant information for a transaction leveraging the Descriptor information (raw merchant name, city, and state/region)
2. Card Acceptor Id Match - This endpoint provides enriched information on the merchant participant in the transaction on the basis of a match on Card Acceptor Id (also known as Acquirer Merchant Id or DE42)
3. Tax Id Match - This endpoint provides merchant information based on the Tax Id assigned by local government and the country code of the merchant.

<br />

**Sample for a Descriptor match**

If a customer wanted to look up 'CAFETERIA30020523CLEVELANDOH' - a merchant descriptor found on a cardholder's statement, Merchant Identifier would present information such as the following:
* Merchant Category: 5813 -- FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS
* Merchant DBA (Doing Business As) Name: CAFETERIA 30020523
* Street: 11100 EUCLID AVE
* City: CLEVELAND
* State: OH Postal Code: 44106
* Country: USA - UNITED STATES

* **Sample for a Card Acceptor Id match**
* If an issuer wants to look up '10519029' -- a Card Acceptor Id for enriched merchant details, the API will output information such as the following.
* Merchant Category: 4225 - PUBLIC WAREHOUSING-FARM REFRIG GOODS HHG STORAGE
* Merchant DBA (Doing Business As) Name: MILWAUKEE TECH CEN
* Street: 7401 BUSH LAKE RD
* City: MINNEAPOLIS
* State: MN
* Postal Code: 55439
* Country: USA - UNITED STATES
* Phone: 9524120565
* Legal Corporate Name: Milwaukee Tech Center LLC

* **Sample for a Tax Id match**
* If an issuer wants to look up 29152490000123, BRA -- a Tax ID and country code for enriched merchant details, the API will output information such as the following.
* Merchant Category: 5499 - MISC FOOD STORE-CONVENIENCE MRKT SPLTY VENDNG MACS
* Merchant DBA (Doing Business As) Name: PIZZARIA VENEZA
* Tax Id: 29152490000123
* Street:RUA ORATORIO 760
* City: SANTO ANDRÉ
* State: SP
* Postal Code: 09280-550
* Country: BRA - BRAZIL

## How it works {#how-it-works}

* Merchant Identifier is a proprietary match and append technology that addresses the challenge of unrecognizable merchants found in credit card transactions by allowing Issuers, fintechs, processors, and program managers to match their transaction information to the actual merchant acceptance points.
* Once the merchant identifier finds a match in the API, it is mapped to a location id which links the identifier to additional merchant information in Mastercard's merchant database (known as the "Places" database)
* Through our Places API dataset, additional insights can be appended to the merchant information including merchant name, address, geographic coordinates, chain name, sales channel indicators, industry classification codes, and transaction-based insights such as in-business flags and last seen date.
Diagram midOverview

## Next Steps {#next-steps}

* To get more familiar with our Merchant Identifier API you can check out the [API Reference Page](https://developer.mastercard.com/merchant-identifier/documentation/api-reference/index.md).
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## Evaluate using real data {#evaluate-using-real-data}

#### Service Overview {#service-overview}

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#### Developer Account Requirements {#developer-account-requirements}

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