# Mastercard TLID

> Mastercard's Transaction Link ID (TLID) — what it is and how VINR handles it.

Learn more about Mastercard's Transaction Link ID (TLID).

Transaction Link ID (TLID) is a unique identifier that Mastercard generates for each transaction. It links transactions across authorization and clearing messages, similar to the network transaction ID (NTID). TLIDs are 22 characters long, alphanumeric (`A-Z`, `a-z`), case sensitive, and can include `-` and `_`. For example:

- `e7R9d3L2-Q9vS6pP1_WzEh`
- `Z0fE_2qV-3pWft4vHt7Ki6M`

## Timeline

Starting June 2, 2026, Mastercard requires acquirers and businesses to retain TLIDs for:

- Cardholder-initiated transactions (CITs) that store card credentials for future use.
- Account status inquiry (ASI) requests.

Starting October 23, 2026, Mastercard requires you to send the TLID retained from the original CIT with merchant-initiated transactions (MITs).

No changes are expected to NTID. Its use continues in parallel with TLID.

| Date             | Requirement                                                                                                                 |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| June 2, 2026     | Retain TLIDs from CITs that set up future card use and from ASI requests. The acquirer or business must retain these TLIDs. |
| October 23, 2026 | Send the TLID retained from the original CIT or ASI request with all subsequent MITs as the economically related TLID.      |

## Impact

VINR stores TLIDs for all businesses when Mastercard provides them. VINR populates the economically related TLID on an MIT if a saved TLID is available — for example, when the original CIT was processed through VINR.

If the CIT was processed before June 2, 2026, VINR sends the TLID from the earliest authorized MIT after June 2, 2026, as Mastercard recommends.

## See also

[CITs and MITs](/docs/payments/payment-methods/add-payment-methods/cards/cit-mit) — Card network rules based on who initiates a transaction.

[Cartes Bancaires](/docs/payments/payment-methods/add-payment-methods/cards/cartes-bancaires) — France's local card network — availability, disputes, and integration.