The format of the supplier data is a key criterion for obtaining an accurate match result. Users should prepare and send the supplier data in the Visa-specified format. Input data must include the supplier name and country code. The file may also include other attributes such as address, city, state, postal code, tax identification number, and/or telephone number which may improve the match rates. Below is a list of fields and requirements:
| FIELD | FIELD NAME | FIELD DESCRIPTION | REQUIRED/OPTIONAL | MAX. FIELD LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company Name |
Supplier/Vendor DBA Name | Required | 100 |
| 2 | Address | Street Address | Optional/Helpful | 60 |
| 3 | City | City | Optional/Helpful | 50 |
| 4 | Province/State | Province/State | Optional/Helpful | 20 |
| 5 | Postal/Zip Code |
Postal/Zip Code | Optional/Helpful | 20 |
| 6 | Tax ID | Tax Identification Number (Govt issued) | Optional/Helpful | 20 |
| 7 | Telephone number | Company Telephone Number | Optional/Helpful | 20 |
| 8 | Country* | Country for this company | Required | 3 |
*Please refer to the country codes listed in the Request and Response Codes page. The Visa Supplier Matching Service API supports the 2-digit alpha ISO Country Code or the 3-digit numeric ISO Country Code.
The API currently supports the following countries:
The API will deliver the results of the match containing your original data plus several additional fields. These results include a match indicator, enhanced data indicators, Merchant Category Code(s), and the match confidence. The following table provides the description for these fields:
| FIELD NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Match Status | Yes = Matched to a record within the Visa commercial merchant database |
| Level II | Yes = Capable of sending Sales Tax and Customer Code information |
| Level III Summary | Yes = Capable of sending summary level information that applies to an entire transation, such as Order Date and Invoice Number |
| Level III Line Item | Yes = Capable of sending detailed information about individual line items within a transaction, such as Product Code, Description, Quantity and Unit Cost. |
| Fleet Indicator | Yes = Capable of sending Fleet data within a transaction, such as Fuel Type and Fuel Unit Cost |
| MCC | All Merchant Category Codes on file for suppliers that matched on both name and address. MCC's will be separated by a semi-colon where multiple MCC's are returned. N/A = MCC's not qualified for inclusion due to lesser quality match |
| Match Confidence | High = Match on supplier name and full address and/or other data provided Medium = Match on supplier name and partial address and/or other data Low = Match on supplier name only |
**Other attributes may be available in the response file. Please check with your Visa representative
Disclaimer: Visa does not make any warranty of representation as to the accuracy, correctness, or completeness of the information provided, nor assumes any liability for responsibility for claims that may result from reliance on such information. Users of the Visa Supplier Matching Service API should communicate directly with the business entity for verification of accuracy.
Use the status code returned in the response to determine the status of any Visa Supplier Matching Service API call. The descriptions listed below will also help determine what corrections need to be made if the record fails to process.
| STATUS CODE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| SMSAPI000 | Request successfully received |
| SMSAPI011 | Request supplier name value is null / empty |
| SMSAPI012 | Request supplier country code value is null / empty |
| SMSAPI111 | Service unavailable |
| SMSAPI115 | Required request data is null / empty |
| SMSAPI116 | Request data name length exceeded max character length |
| SMSAPI117 | Request data address length exceeded max character length |
| SMSAPI118 | Request data city length exceeded max character length |
| SMSAPI119 | Request data state length exceeded max character length |
| SMSAPI120 | Request data postal length exceeded max character length |
| SMSAPI121 | Request data country length exceeded max character length |
| SMSAPI122 | Request country not supported |
If an error code is received, users should resubmit the API request once the data has been corrected.
The format of the supplier data is a key criterion for obtaining an accurate match result. Users should prepare and send the supplier data in the Visa-specified format. Input data must include the supplier name and country code. The file may also include other attributes such as address, city, state, postal code, and country which may improve the match rates. Below is a list of fields and requirements:
| FIELD | FIELD NAME | FIELD DESCRIPTION | REQUIRED / OPTIONAL | MAX FIELD LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company Name |
Supplier/Vendor DBA Name | Required | 100 |
| 2 | Address | Street Address | Optional/Helpful | 60 |
| 3 | City | City | Optional/Helpful | 50 |
| 4 | Province/State | Province/State | Optional/Helpful | 20 |
| 5 | Postal/Zip Code |
Postal/Zip Code | Optional/Helpful | 20 |
| 6 | Country* | Country for this company | Required | 3 |
*Please refer to the country codes listed in the Request and Response Codes page. The Visa Supplier Matching Service API supports the 2-digit alpha ISO Country Code or the 3-digit numeric ISO Country Code.
The API currently supports the following countries:
The API will deliver the results of the match containing your original data plus several additional fields. These results include a match indicator, enhanced data indicators, Merchant Category Code(s), and the match confidence. The following table provides the description for these fields:
| FIELD NAME | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Match Status | Yes = Matched to a record within the Visa commercial merchant database |
| Level II | Yes = Capable of sending Sales Tax and Customer Code information |
| Level III Summary | Yes = Capable of sending summary level information that applies to an entire transation, such as Order Date and Invoice Number |
| Level III Line Item | Yes = Capable of sending detailed information about individual line items within a transaction, such as Product Code, Description, Quantity and Unit Cost. |
| Fleet Indicator | Yes = Capable of sending Fleet data within a transaction, such as Fuel Type and Fuel Unit Cost |
| MCC | All Merchant Category Codes on file for suppliers that matched on both name and address. MCC's will be separated by a semi-colon where multiple MCC's are returned. N/A = MCC's not qualified for inclusion due to lesser quality match |
| Match Confidence | High = Match on supplier name and full address and/or other data provided Medium = Match on supplier name and partial address and/or other data Low = Match on supplier name only |
**Other attributes may be available in the response file. Please check with your Visa representative
Disclaimer: Visa does not make any warranty of representation as to the accuracy, correctness, or completeness of the information provided, nor assumes any liability for responsibility for claims that may result from reliance on such information. Users of the Visa Supplier Matching Service Bulk API should communicate directly with the business entity for verification of accuracy
Use the status code returned in the response to determine the status of any Visa Supplier Matching Service Bulk API call. The descriptions listed below will also help determine what corrections need to be made if the record fails to process.
| STATUS CODE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| SMSAPI111 | Service Unavailable |
| SMSAPI100 | File Received |
| SMSAPI101 | File Not Ready |
| SMSAPI102 |
File Failed |
| SMSAPI103 | File Complete |
| SMSAPI104 | Permission Denied |
| SMSAPI105 | File Exceeded Limit |
| SMSAPI106 | File Invalid Format |
| SMSAPI107 | User ID Not Valid |
| SMSAPI108 | Bank ID Not Valid |
| SMSAPI109 | Field Not Valid |
If an error code is received, users should resubmit the API request once the data has been corrected
An organization or service provider could work with an issuer and Visa to determine those suppliers that could be paid using a Visa Commercial Payment product. An issuer could use the spend information associated with the matched suppliers to determine the potential size of the organization's card program. This may drive card spend and reduce procurement costs while delivering financial benefits.
Various teams throughout the world use the Visa Supplier Matching Service API. This section lists a few of the most common asked questions and answers.
Q: How often is the Visa matching database updated?
A: The Visa commercial merchant database is updated monthly.
Q: How can I improve my match results?
A: Users should ensure their input data is properly formatted and parsed into the relevant fields; supplier name, address, city, state, postal code, country , telephone number, and tax identification number.
Q: What does that match confidence stand for?
A: Visa will return a Match Confidence indicator along with each record that matches; Low, Medium, and High. These indicators are defined as follows:
| MATCH CONFIDENCE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| High | Matched on supplier name and full address and/or other data provided |
| Medium | Matched on supplier name and partial address and/or other data provided |
| Low | Matched on supplier name only |
| Blank | Did not match to a record in the Visa commercial merchant database |
Q: Why did we receive multiple Merchant Category Codes (MCC's) tied to a single supplier?
A: Many of the merchants within the Visa commercial merchant database process transactions with multiple MCC's. This could be due to the merchant having several terminals and/or business entities. If the input supplier record matches to one of these merchants, then each of the applicable MCC's will be included in the output results.
This section lists information regarding Visa Supplier Matching Service APIs best practices which issuers should be aware of in order to receive optimal match results.
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