AFT Transactions Explained: A Merchant's Guide to Account Funding

updated: 11/06/2026

Quick answer: An Account Funding Transaction (AFT) is a "pull" card transaction that withdraws funds from a customer's Visa or Mastercard account to fund a deposit, wallet, or trading account, rather than to pay for goods or services. For merchants in forex, crypto, and gaming, AFT is now mandated by Visa (since January 2025) and Mastercard (since August 2025) for deposit transactions, replacing the standard purchase transaction. Merchants must ensure their payment provider supports compliant AFT processing, including the required recipient data fields.

 

If you run a forex, crypto, gaming, or money transfer business that takes card deposits, AFT is no longer optional - it's a card-scheme requirement. This guide explains what AFTs mean specifically for merchants: how they work, how they pair with OCTs for payouts, the compliance deadlines you must meet, and how to set up AFT processing correctly.

If you need to confirm your setup is compliant, our team can help — talk to us about AFT-ready payment processing.

What is an AFT transaction (for merchants)?

For a merchant, an Account Funding Transaction (AFT) is a card transaction that pulls funds from your customer's card to fund their account with you. For example, a trader depositing into a forex account, a player topping up a gaming balance, or a user funding a crypto purchase. Unlike a standard purchase transaction (where the customer buys a product), an AFT is classified by the card networks as funding, not spending, and that classification carries different rules, data requirements, and compliance obligations for the merchant.

This distinction matters because misclassifying a deposit as a purchase (the old approach) is now non-compliant in regulated verticals, and can lead to declines, fines, or processing restrictions.

The Visa & Mastercard AFT mandate: what merchants must do

This is the part most merchants are searching for. The card schemes have made AFT mandatory for deposit transactions in high-risk verticals:

• Visa: Since January 2025, forex and crypto deposit transactions must be processed as AFTs rather than standard purchase transactions.
• Mastercard: Equivalent AFT requirements took effect by August 2025 for the same sectors.

For merchants, this means your payment setup must correctly flag deposits as AFTs and pass the additional recipient information parameters the schemes now require. If your provider hasn't migrated you, you risk declined transactions, lower approval rates, and compliance penalties. The practical step is to confirm with your payment provider that your MIDs are configured for compliant AFT processing, ideally before any audit or decline spike forces the issue.

Which merchant categories must use AFT (by MCC)

The AFT mandate applies to specific Merchant Category Codes (MCCs). If your business operates under one of the MCCs below and your transactions match a mandated use case (funding, deposits, or money movement rather than a straight purchase), you are likely required to process those transactions as AFTs.

MCC	Merchant category	Typical business
4829	Money Transfer – Wire Transfer	Money transfer operators, remittance, P2P money movement
6012	Non-Financial Institutions – Foreign Currency, Money Orders, Travellers Cheques	Forex / foreign-currency providers, crypto (per Mastercard's 2027 EU/UK/MENA phase)
6051	Quasi Cash / Non-Financial Institutions	Cryptocurrency exchanges, quasi-cash and foreign-currency providers
6211	Securities Brokers / Dealers	Brokerages, trading and prop-trading platforms, investment apps
6538	Funding Transactions (Mastercard)	Funding / disbursement providers
6540	Account Funding / POI Funding / Prepaid Load	Digital wallets, stored-value & prepaid programs, top-ups
7800	Government-Owned Lotteries	State/government lottery operators
7801	Government-Licensed Online Casinos (Online Gambling)	Licensed online casinos and gaming
7802	Government-Licensed Horse / Dog Racing	Licensed racecourse and pari-mutuel wagering
7994 / 7995	Video Game Arcades / Betting & Casino Gambling	Gaming, betting, sportsbooks, and casino platforms

A note on the gambling codes: the scheme mandate text specifies 7800, 7801, 7802, and 7994. Most betting and casino operators, however, process under 7995 (Betting & Casino Gambling). If your business uses 7995 (or another gambling code such as 9406 or 9754), confirm your exact in-scope status with your acquirer - gambling MCC classification varies by network, region, and licensing.

Likewise, the cryptocurrency MCC differs by scheme and phase: Mastercard's mandate references crypto under both 6051 (earlier US/Canada phases) and 6012 (the 2027 UK/Europe/MENA phase), while direct crypto purchases may still process as standard purchases (see the exception below). Confirm the correct crypto code for your specific flow with your provider.

If your business falls under any of these MCCs, the safest step is to confirm with your acquirer whether your specific transaction flows are mandated - classification depends on both your MCC and whether the transaction is genuine funding/deposit versus a true purchase.

Compliance deadlines by scheme and region

Visa

• 31 January 2025 — US merchants, mandated use cases (some merchants may have received an extension directly from Visa).
• 31 July 2025 — Hong Kong.
• 31 March 2026 — Australia, Canada, UK, EEA, MENA, New Zealand, and Singapore. (Cards issued in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, and Trinidad & Tobago may continue as purchase transactions until 1 April 2027.)

Visa has confirmed no further extensions for cards issued in Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Egypt, Grenada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Morocco, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Singapore, and the UAE. If you process cards from these countries (or any country not in the exception list) and are in scope, you must switch to AFT now.

Mastercard

• 30 April 2025 — US: crypto (60512), gambling (7800/7801/7802/7994), securities (6211).
• 31 March 2026 — Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, UAE: money transfer (4829), funding transactions (6538/6540).
• 15 April 2026 — Canada: crypto (60512), securities (6211).
• 31 May 2026 — UK, Europe, Singapore, US: money transfer (4829), funding transactions (6538/6540).
• 31 March 2027 — UK, Europe, MENA: crypto (6012), securities (6211).

Mastercard note: direct crypto purchases may still be processed as purchase transactions; only crypto used to load an account for future purchases must be an AFT.

Because these dates, country exceptions, and MCC mappings change, always confirm your specific in-scope deadline with your acquirer. Not sure where you stand? Talk to our team and we'll map your MCCs and regions to the correct AFT requirements.

Common Merchant Use Cases of AFT

• Digital Wallet & Fintech Platforms: If your business lets users load a balance from a card, AFT is the compliant way to process those funding transactions - classified as account funding rather than a purchase, so your top-ups are flagged correctly and approved more predictably by issuers.

• P2P & Money-Movement Platforms: Businesses that facilitate person-to-person transfers use AFT to pull funds from the sender's card before disbursing them, giving you a compliant, scheme-supported rail for moving money between users.

• Merchant & Business Account Funding: Businesses use AFT to fund merchant accounts and other financial accounts tied to business operations - for example, topping up a prepaid balance on an advertising platform with the transaction correctly categorized as funding rather than a sale.

• Crypto Businesses: AFT lets your customers fund cryptocurrency purchases directly by card, and is now the mandated transaction type for these deposits — so processing them as compliant AFTs keeps your crypto payment setup aligned with Visa and Mastercard rules.

• Forex & Prop-Trading Platforms: AFT is increasingly the standard for moving customer deposits into trading accounts. Because forex and prop-trading flows demand deposits, payouts, and higher compliance checks, an AFT-ready (and OCT-ready) setup gives you a single compliant rail for the full deposit-and-withdrawal lifecycle. See our forex payment solutions.

• Gaming & Betting Operators: AFT enables fast, secure, compliant deposits into player accounts for online betting and casino platforms — and pairs with OCT for paying out winnings. See our gaming payment solutions.

How AFT processing works for a merchant

From the merchant's side, a compliant AFT flows through these stages:

1. Initiation — your customer funds their account (deposits) via card on your platform; your system flags the transaction as an AFT, not a purchase.
2. Authorization — Visa or Mastercard verifies the card and the required AFT data fields, and runs fraud/compliance checks.
3. Clearing & settlement — funds move from the cardholder's issuing bank to your acquiring bank, correctly classified as a funding transaction.

All of this runs through a secure, PCI-compliant payment gateway that connects the issuing and acquiring banks and passes the scheme-required data.

AFT vs. OCT: pull deposits and push payouts

Merchants in deposit-and-payout businesses need both transaction types, so it's worth understanding how they pair:

• AFT (the "pull") withdraws funds from the customer's card to fund their account with you -  i.e., a deposit on a trading platform.
• OCT (Original Credit Transaction, the "push") pushes funds to the customer's card - i.e., a igaming payout, withdrawal, or refund.

Together, AFT and OCT form the complete money-movement framework for any business that takes deposits and pays out winnings, withdrawals, or returns — which is exactly the flow forex brokers, gaming operators, and crypto platforms depend on. A provider that supports both gives you a single, compliant rail for the full customer lifecycle.

 

Merchants' Risks and Compliance with AFT Transactions

While Account Funding Transactions (AFT) offer a secure and efficient way to move funds, they still present certain risks and challenges. One of the primary risks associated with AFTs is the potential for disputes or chargebacks. These occur when a customer disputes a transaction, which might happen if there’s an unauthorized transfer or a technical issue during the process.

To manage these risks, businesses handling AFTs must ensure that their payment processes comply with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) to protect sensitive payment data. Additionally, implementing robust fraud prevention measures can help minimize unauthorized transactions. Transparent communication with customers about the nature and terms of AFT transactions can also reduce the chances of disputes, ensuring customers fully understand and authorize the movement of funds.

Proactively addressing these risks can help businesses avoid operational disruptions and build trust with customers, ensuring smoother and more secure fund transfers.

Setting up compliant AFT processing

If your business relies on digital payment transfers, incorporating AFT can enhance the efficiency of your payment operations. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

1. Choose a Reliable Payment Processor: Opt for a payment service provider that offers secure and reliable AFT support. This ensures the transactions are processed quickly and with minimal risk. A clear merchant onboarding process helps confirm whether AFT support, industry fit, and compliance needs are covered early.
2. Ensure Compliance: Make sure that your AFT process is compliant with regulatory requirements like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) to avoid potential legal and financial risks.
3. Integrate Seamlessly: Leverage APIs from payment providers that allow easy integration of AFT functionality into your existing platform.
4. Monitor Transactions: Regularly monitor AFT transactions to identify any anomalies or potential fraud attempts.

Conclusion

For merchants in forex, crypto, and gaming, AFT has shifted from a technical detail to a compliance requirement. Processing deposits as compliant AFTs — and payouts as OCTs — keeps you aligned with Visa and Mastercard rules, protects approval rates, and gives your customers a smooth funding experience.

CatalystPay helps regulated merchants set up compliant AFT and OCT processing across 30+ acquirers. Contact us to make sure your AFT setup is compliant and future-proof.