# Mastercard Transaction Link ID

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.  TLIDs are 22 characters long, alphanumeric (`A-Z`, `a-z`), case sensitive, and can include `-` and `_`. For example:

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

## Review the timeline

Starting June 2, 2026, Mastercard requires payment processors, such as Stripe, to store TLIDs for cardholder-initiated-transactions, and make them available to users.

Starting October 23, 2026, Mastercard requires payment processors, such as Stripe, to send the TLID retained from the original cardholder-initiated transaction with subsequent merchant-initiated transactions. These TLIDs may need to be provided by users if Stripe does not have them available.

No changes are expected to network transaction IDs, which continue to be used in parallel with TLIDs.

| Date | Requirement |
| --- | --- |
| June 2, 2026 | Retain TLIDs from cardholder-initiated-transaction that set up future card use. |
| October 23, 2026 | Send the TLID retained from the original cardholder-initiated-transaction with all subsequent merchant-initiated-transactions. |

## Understand the impact

Stripe stores and returns TLIDs for all businesses when Mastercard provides them. Stripe also sends TLIDs to Mastercard for merchant-initiated-transactions on your behalf if a customer originally saved their card on Stripe.

If the cardholder-initiated-transaction was processed before June 2, 2026, Stripe sends the TLID from the earliest authorized merchant-initiated-transaction after June 2, 2026, as Mastercard recommends.

TLIDs are returned at `payment_method_details.card.transaction_link_id` on charges. 

```json
{
  "payment_method_details": {
    "card": {
      "transaction_link_id": "e7R9d3L2-Q9vS6pP1_WzEh"
    }
  }
}
```