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What is the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) really?
The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) is Visa’s new monitoring system that consolidates five separate legacy programs into one unified score. Instead of tracking fraud and disputes in different places, everything now rolls up into a single metric that determines whether your business stays in Visa’s good graces.
Think of it like a GPA. Instead of separate grades for math, English, and science, you get one score that determines if you graduate. In this case, graduation means keeping your ability to process Visa payments. Fall below the threshold, and you risk fines, penalties, or being banned from card acceptance altogether.
This new program is Visa’s way of forcing online businesses to be extra careful with fraud and customer complaints. It’s like having a strict referee watching every play — too many fouls, and you’re out of the game.
For more information on what VAMP is, visit our glossary page. Or scroll down and keep reading to discover strategies for compliance!
The Story Behind Visa’s Move to Create VAMP
$40 billion saved—but fraud and chargeback cases are growing.
Visa says their fraud prevention programs saved over $40 billion last year. But as online transactions grow, so do bad actors. VAMP was designed to help acquirers strengthen their controls, prevent enumeration attacks, and reduce fraud across the global payments ecosystem. Per Visa, they expect it to address four times the amount of fraud across the world, accounting for more than $2.5 billions in losses.
The goal of this program can be broken down into three main points:
- Prevent enumeration attacks
- Reduce fraud globally
- Strengthen acquirer controls
Enumeration Attacks: A Real Example
Fraudsters can “guess” valid credit cards by testing thousands of small transactions—this is called an enumeration attack. Each successful hit is a risk for real fraud and chargeback issues. Visa flags these patterns early, helping businesses stop attacks before losses pile up and they hit the VAMP thresholds.
VAMP focuses on merchants, acquirers, and card-not-present transactions — essentially anyone selling online. If your processor notifies you that your business is under Visa’s monitoring program, it means your dispute and fraud levels are high enough to trigger an alert. Since acquirers are fined if thresholds are exceeded, they act quickly to protect themselves—sometimes even closing accounts before Visa steps in.
Cracking the New VAMP Ratio
The VAMP formula is simple: (TC40 fraud alerts + TC15 disputes) divided by total card-not-present (CNP) transactions.
The catch is that if a single transaction gets flagged as fraud and disputed, it counts twice against you.
Picture a subscription box company that charges a customer’s card. Months later, the card is reported stolen and the customer files both a TC40 fraud alert and a TC15 dispute. Both hit the VAMP ratio. If the business linked to the purchase is already close to the limit, that one complaint could push them over and trigger fines immediately.
Pro tip: set your own internal threshold lower than Visa’s official number — or even below your acquirer’s as they will likely impose stricter rules than Visa to protect themselves — giving yourself plenty of breathing room before penalties kick in.
Calculate Your VAMP Ratio to See Your Risk of Impact
Knowing the formula is one thing, but seeing how it applies to your business is what really matters. Even a small increase in fraud alerts or disputes can tip your ratio over Visa’s threshold, especially once double-counting comes into play.
Our free interactive calculator makes it easy to plug in your numbers and instantly see where you stand against both Visa’s and your acquirer’s limits. Use it as an early warning system to catch risks before they trigger fines or account restrictions. Try it today and get a clear picture of your VAMP compliance health.
Vias's Acquirer Monitoring Program & Merchants: Who Gets Hit the Hardest
Some industries naturally attract more fraud, such as:
- Crypto
- CBD
- Adult entertainment
- Gambling
Subscription businesses face unique challenges. Free trials that turn into forgotten charges, recurring billing that surprises customers, and so-called friendly fraud all increase the risk.
Proof in Practice: Subscription Surprises
An e-commerce business offers a $1 trial that automatically converts to $25 per month. When the first recurring charge hits, many customers forget they signed up or feel misled by unclear terms. This can trigger a spike in disputes, creating multiple TC15 and TC40 reports that push the VAMP ratio toward the threshold.
Proof in Practice: High-Risk Businesses Targeted by Stolen Cards
High-risk merchants, like CBD or adult entertainment sites, are more likely to be targeted by fraudsters using stolen credit cards. Later, when the cardholders report the charges as fraud (TC40) and dispute them (TC15), the same transaction counts twice in Visa's ratio—resulting in a double impact that can quickly push the business over the threshold and trigger fines.
In both the examples above, the business isn’t necessarily failing at fraud detection. Disputes can and often are caused by an individual merchant’s industry risk, product positioning, and/or unclear customer communication. High-risk merchants, in particular, face extra scrutiny, with acquirers applying tighter limits and monitoring accounts more closely.
Why Non-Compliance With VAMP Requirements Hurts
Under this program, going over the limit means money out of your pocket.
Each bad transaction costs $10 in fines once you’re over the program thresholds and affects existing fraud and dispute management efforts.
If fraud and disputes overlap, the same transaction counts twice. And since Visa keeps lowering acceptable ratios, compliance gets harder each year.
Acquirers may also impose tougher rules of their own:
- Higher reserves
- Delayed payouts
- Stricter monitoring
In extreme cases, they may terminate your account altogether. That can land you on the MATCH list, effectively blacklisting you from card processing for five years. For most online businesses, that’s a death sentence.
Still, exceeding thresholds doesn’t have to mean game over. A merchant who sees their chargeback ratio spike can take quick action — improving customer service, clarifying billing descriptors, and utilizing prevention tools — to bring the numbers down and remain compliant with VAMP before permanent damage is done.
VAMP Requirements and Compliance Made Simple
The key to surviving fraud and dispute monitoring programs isn’t reacting when fines hit. It’s about building proactive systems into your daily operations.
VAMP Compliance Checklist for Merchants
“Adopting a risk-based approach to fraud management allows organizations to allocate resources more effectively and respond swiftly to emerging threats.” Avivah Litan from Gartner, per the Merchant Fraud Journal
Use the checklist below to refine your approach to fraud management and ensure your business is compliant with Visa’s new Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program:
- Monitor Your Ratio
- Set up a cadence to check it weekly, not monthly
- Strengthen Fraud Prevention
- Implement better security (identity verification, credit card statements that clearly show your business name, etc.) to prevent fraudulent complaints
- Turn on 3D Secure, AVS, and velocity limits
- Reduce Chargebacks
- Utilize prevention alert services (Verifi/Ethoca) for pre-dispute intervention
- Improve your Customer Service
- Overhaul your customer service — fantastic customer service sets you up for success as your customers call you instead of their bank. Do this by:
- Training customer support to resolve disputes fast
- Having a transparent cancellation process
- Sending reminders before charging subscription customers
- Overhaul your customer service — fantastic customer service sets you up for success as your customers call you instead of their bank. Do this by:
- Stay vigilant
- Treat this risk management checklist like a roadmap: monitor, act, adjust.
For example, a business struggling with TC40 fraud reports, for instance, should turn on 3D Secure, track affiliate traffic more closely, and use behavioral analytics to catch fraud before it ever reaches Visa.
Think Beyond Fraud: Product Positioning, Offers, and Billing Plans
Fraud filters only solve part of the problem. Many chargebacks come from issues businesses can control, like hidden fees, disappointing products, or confusing billing plans. Fraud, on the other hand, often comes from affiliates driving low-quality traffic and even using stolen cards to earn commissions. To learn more about preventing preventing chargebacks, check out our ultimate guide today.
The businesses that stay compliant under the new Visa fraud monitoring program are those that take a system-wide view. They monitor account health at every stage of the buying process — from traffic sources, to how offers are positioned, to subscription billing, to ongoing customer service.
Clear vs. Confusing Subscription Offers
Imagine a subscription business who has fraud tools that appear to be performing well but their disputes are continuing to rise. The issue often isn't that those tools aren’t working currently. Instead, it’s unclear subscription terms, confusing billing descriptions, and/or surprise charges that customers don’t recognize.
Reviewing product positioning, clarifying the billing language, and monitoring affiliate traffic can reduce both fraud and disputes for businesses. This creates a full-lifecycle strategy that protects revenue and keeps your fraud ratio in check.
What Happens When You’re Flagged Under VAMP
- Months 1–3: Advisory Period – You receive warnings but no fines. This is your chance to identify issues and implement fixes quickly.
- Months 4–6: Enforcement Begins – Fines are applied, and acquirers expect a remediation plan is being acted on.
- Exit: Bring your ratios consistently below threshold, and your case closes automatically—no probation required.
Mini-Case Study: Step-by-Step Remediation Plan
Flagged Under VAMP? Follow These Steps:
- Analyze the Problem: Identify transactions driving TC15 and TC40 reports.
- Adjust Product Positioning: Clarify trial terms, pricing, and billing descriptors.
- Strengthen Fraud Prevention: Activate 3D Secure, AVS, and velocity limits.
- Improve Customer Service: Train support to expedite dispute resolution and send reminders before recurring charges.
- Monitor Ratios Daily/Weekly: Track progress and adjust interventions as needed.
- Document Everything: Share your remediation steps with the acquirer to demonstrate proactive management.
✅ Result: Reduce dispute ratios, avoid fines, and regain full compliance.
The new framework emphasizes prevention and proactive management — the sooner you act, the easier it is to reduce risk and maintain a healthy account.
Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program Timeline: What’s Changing and When
Understanding the timeline is just as important as knowing the rules. Visa isn’t flipping a switch overnight. Instead, this new program has rolled out in phases, and each milestone brings stricter thresholds and tougher enforcement. If you know what’s coming, you can plan ahead instead of scrambling when fines start.
Important VAMP Enforcement Dates
April 2025: New VAMP program launches.
September 2025: Advisory period ends.
October 2025: Enforcement begins. This marks the end of the grace period offered to merchants and acquirers.
January 2026: Acquirer thresholds tighten, with “Above Standard” defined at 0.5–0.7 percent and “Excessive” at 0.7 percent or more, dropping even lower later in the year.
April 2026: Merchant threshold drops from 2.2 percent to 1.5 percent.
These dates aren’t just technical milestones — they’re inflection points for your business. Acquirers and merchants who treat this timeline like a countdown clock will be ready long before penalties and tighter ratios kick in. Those who wait may find themselves scrambling to fix disputes after fines start piling up.
The Bottom Line on Visa’s VAMP Program
This new acquirer monitoring program is strict, but manageable. Businesses that act early can stay compliant, avoid penalties, and even strengthen customer trust. The sooner you treat fraud and chargebacks as part of your entire business model, the easier it will be to stay competitive.
That’s where Sticky.io CRM can help. Our subscription-first platform gives you the tools to manage offers, billing, payments, and customer retention in one place — so you can stay ahead of VAMP requirements while growing your recurring revenue.
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