> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.pexcard.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Card Acceptor Lists

> Create a list of Card Acceptor IDs in Dashboard — the identifier the card network sends with every authorization, so your rules hold even when a merchant name changes

A card acceptor list is a named list of Card Acceptor IDs (CAIDs) you can apply as an allow list or a deny list to a spend policy or to a single Cardholder's spend rules. The CAID is the identifier the card network sends with every authorization, so a card acceptor rule keeps working even when the merchant name on the transaction changes or is spelled inconsistently.

Creating the list and applying it are two separate steps. This article covers building the list. To put it to work, see [Setting Card Acceptor Allow & Deny Rules](/administrator-guide/setting-card-acceptor-allow-deny-rules).

<Note>
  **Note:**

  Card acceptor lists are available only when card acceptor ID locking is enabled for your program, and only to administrators who can manage Cardholders. If you don't see **Card acceptor lists** in **Business settings**, contact your PEX account manager.
</Note>

## Where to find a CAID

Because a rule matches on the CAID, you need the exact ID before you can add it to a list. Look up the CAID for a past purchase in your transaction data, or ask the merchant or your PEX account manager for it.

Card acceptor lists work well when you want to pin spend to a specific place — a single store location, a fuel site or a merchant whose name arrives inconsistently on transactions.

## How to create a card acceptor list

1. Log into [dashboard.pexcard.com](https://dashboard.pexcard.com)
2. Click **Business settings** in the left side navigation
3. Open the **Spend control** tab, then select **Card acceptor lists**
   * Existing lists are shown with their descriptions and the number of card acceptors in each one
4. Click **Create new card acceptor list**
5. Complete the fields for your new list:
   * **Card acceptor list name** – must be unique, up to 20 characters
   * **Description** – optional, up to 200 characters
6. Add each card acceptor:
   * **Card acceptor ID** – up to 15 characters. Letters, numbers, spaces, underscores, periods and hyphens are accepted
   * **Label** – optional, up to 255 characters. Use it to record which merchant or location the CAID belongs to
   * Click **Add** to put the entry on the list, then repeat for the next CAID
7. Click **Create**

Your new list appears in **Card acceptor lists**, ready to apply.

## How to edit or delete a card acceptor list

From **Card acceptor lists**:

* Click any row to see the card acceptors the list holds
* Click the pencil icon to change the name, the description or the card acceptors on the list
* Click the X icon to delete the list

<Note>
  **Note:**

  Edits take effect immediately for every spend policy and Cardholder using the list. Deleting a list also removes the restriction from any Cardholder it was applied to, so check where a list is in use before you delete it.
</Note>

## Card acceptor list FAQs

1. How should I enter a CAID that starts with zeros?
   * Enter it either way. For an all-number CAID we ignore leading zeros when we match the authorization, so `000313307775889` and `313307775889` are treated as the same card acceptor. We store one entry for both, and we show the CAID without the padding.
2. How many lists can I create?
   * As many as you need. Give each one a name that describes what it covers, since you pick lists by name when you set up a rule.
3. Can the same CAID appear on more than one list?
   * Yes. If a card acceptor ends up both blocked and allowed for the same Cardholder, the block wins and the purchase is declined.

***See related articles:***
[Setting Card Acceptor Allow & Deny Rules](/administrator-guide/setting-card-acceptor-allow-deny-rules)


## Related topics

- [Setting Card Acceptor Allow & Deny Rules](/administrator-guide/setting-card-acceptor-allow-deny-rules.md)
- [Bill Pay](/administrator-guide/bill-pay.md)
- [Creating Merchant Allow & Deny Lists](/administrator-guide/creating-merchant-allow-deny-lists.md)
- [Creating Departments](/administrator-guide/creating-departments.md)
- [Creating Virtual Cards](/administrator-guide/creating-virtual-cards.md)


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