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# Account.fetchByMerchantAccountId

The `fetchByMerchantAccountId` method returns an `Account` object whose ID (the `merchantAccountId` assigned by you) matches the input. When you first create an `Account` object in the Vindicia database with the `update` method, specify a unique value for the `merchantAccountId` field of that object.Best practice suggests that the `merchantAccountId` value map directly to the customer’s unique ID in your own database.

## Input

*srd*: sparse response description, a SOAP string (which must be a JSON object), in which you specify the elements you want returned.This parameter enables the calling system to constrain a `method` call to return only components you specify. This gives you greater control over returned content, and improves response time within the Vindicia platform by reducing the processing needed for the call.

Some fields are required, either practically or in the WSDL, and will be returned regardless of the *srd* . A null *srd* returns the complete response.

*merchantAccountId*: your Account ID (`merchantAccountId`), which serves as the search criterion.

## Output

*return*: an object of type `Return` that indicates the success or failure of the call.

*account*: the `Account` object whose ID assigned by you (`merchantAccountId`) matches the input.

## Returns

In addition to those listed in [The Return Object](The_Return_Object), this call returns:

| Return Code | Return String |
| - | - |
| `400` | One of the following: - `Unable to load account by VID *input-merchantAccountId*: No match.` - `Unable to load account by VID *input-merchantAccountId*: Vindicia internal error.` - `Must specify merchantAccountId to load by!` |

## Example

```

// Create a SOAP caller object
$account = new Account();
$accountId = "34583";

// now load an account into the Account object 
// by (unique) Account ID
$response = $account->fetchByMerchantAccountId($accountId);
if($response['returnCode'] == 200) {
   $fetchedAccount = $response['data']->account;
}
else {
   // The call was unsuccessful 
   print "Return code: " . $response['returnCode'] . "\n";
   print "Return string " . $response['returnString'] . "\n";
}
```

**Parent topic:**[Account Methods](../topics/Account_Methods)


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