Visa Acquirer Monitoring ProgramMajor Updates Adopted in April 2025 are Transforming the Merchant-Acquirer Relationship

Important Developments for Acquirers & Merchants: Major Updates for the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP)

Visa maintains strict monitoring on the number of chargebacks an acquirer and their merchants are allowed to receive each month.

As a merchant, this could mean incurring added fees and restrictions on your activities. If the problem remains persistent, your bank may be forced to freeze or terminate your bank account entirely.

At least, that was the way it worked.

However, with a recent overhaul of the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program ( or “VAMP”), we will soon see changes which will simplify and evolve this process. This program update will transform the way both merchants and acquirers interact with the Visa risk ecosystem.

What is the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program?

Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program

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The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) is a consolidated initiative that tracks acquirer activity related to fraud and chargebacks. It leverages a transaction count-based metric and the Visa Account Attack Intelligence (VAAI) Score system to offer better risk-based enforcement and improved fraud coverage.

The VAMP is designed to help acquirers, their designated agents, and merchants maintain control and oversight of risk. The ultimate aim is to protect the Visa brand from fraud and chargeback activity by deterring bad business practices in the Visa ecosystem.

Each month, Visa will examine the performance of acquirers and their merchants. The card network will conduct a thorough review of non-fraud disputes filed on card-not-present transactions, as well as fraud incidents and enumerated transactions. Visa will gauge performance conduct on the previous month's overall sales activity.

Each month, Visa will examine the performance of acquirers and their merchants. The card network will conduct a thorough review of non-fraud disputes filed on card-not-present transactions, as well as fraud incidents and enumerated transactions. Visa will gauge performance conduct on the previous month's overall sales activity.

How VAMP Works: Understanding the Program Metrics

Visa phased out the Visa Fraud Monitoring Program (VFMP) and Visa Dispute Monitoring Program (VDMP) for merchants operating in most global regions as of April 2025. The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program was enhanced to effectively replace these two programs.

Under former Visa rules, lower program thresholds were imposed at the merchant level. VAMP also had a simplified set of program thresholds; the VAMP Card-Absent Dispute threshold used to be set at 750 disputes and 1% dispute-to-transaction ratio, while the VAMP Card-Absent Fraud threshold was set at $500,000 in card-absent fraud and 1% fraud-to-sales ratio.

The revised VAMP program features a new metric. Now, Visa counts all reported fraud for the VAMP Card-Absent Fraud program, and all disputes for the VAMP Card-Absent Dispute program (both fraud and non-fraud). This will be accompanied by new criteria based on confirmed enumerated transactions, as identified and confirmed by the Visa Account Attack Intelligence (VAAI) Score system.

Additionally, the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program will transition from non-compliance, assessment-based enforcement to risk-based enforcement. This will provide greater flexibility for clients and accommodate different levels of risk appetite.

VAMP Enforcement Levels

Acquirers who breach program thresholds will get flagged for the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program. They’re required to take corrective actions in response. VAMP has two levels here:

VAMP Thresholds & Calculations

An acquirer is identified as being in the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program if they meet or exceed either the new fraud and disputes ratio, or the new enumeration ratio. These are calculated as follows:

In the table below, I’ve outlined the former program thresholds, as well as the new thresholds that took effect in April 2025, to make it easier to understand the changes taking place:

Program Level	Former Monthly Threshold	Current Monthly Threshold (Effective June 1, 2025)
Early Warning	≥ 20 bps to < 30bps	≥ 40 bps to < 50bps
Standard	≥ 30 bps to < 50bps	≥ 50 bps to < 70bps
Excessive	≥ 50 bps	≥ 70 bps
Merchant Excessive	≥ 150 bps1 ≥ 90bps2	≥ 220 bps1 ≥ 150bps2

• ¹ Applicable threshold in the Asia-Pacific, Canada, Middle East, Africa, Europe, and US markets.
• ² Applicable threshold in the Latin American market.

In addition to the thresholds outlined above, Visa also sets a minimum monthly number of fraud and dispute incidents for VAMP eligibility. These minimum monthly figures are as follows:

VAMP Program Fines

Acquirers identified as Above Standard or Excessive due to fraud and disputes will be subject to fines. These fines are intended to encourage acquirers (and by extension, their merchant clients) to behave responsibly in regards to fraud and dispute management.

Different fees will be applied at different levels of the program. As of this writing, these are the fees that will be assessed, effective as of the dates in the table in the above section:

First-time violations within a rolling 12-month period will result in an acquirer being given a three-month grace period in which to fix the problem. After that grace period ends, fines may be applied to every dispute or TC40 received involving any merchant with a Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program ratio above 0.3% of transactions. Fines can also be applied to the acquirer if a specific merchant exceeds the thresholds.

Who Gets Monitored Under VAMP?

All Visa-registered acquirers operating globally are subject to the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program. This includes both direct acquirers and payment facilitators (PayFacs).

Like I outlined in the last section, though, the exact program level, and the conditions that might lead to being included in the program, may vary based on factors including:

• Historical performance
• Total transaction volume
• Geographic regions served
• Merchant portfolio composition

Merchants are not directly subject to VAMP requirements. However, merchant performance still impacts their acquirer, as high-chargeback merchants can trigger VAMP enrollment for their acquirer.

As a result, acquirers may implement stricter controls on merchants to maintain compliance. Merchants could face restrictions and even account termination from their acquirer if they put their acquirer at risk of violating program thresholds.

How Do Acquirers Know if They’re Added to the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program?

Identified acquirers will receive notification of their status from Visa and are expected to make a response. This notification will explain:

• The reason for the identification
• Response timeline
• Consequences for noncompliance
• Best practices (when applicable)

In response, acquirers must enhance their risk control environment and address the issues that led to their identification. They are required to submit a remediation plan within 15 calendar days that addresses the root causes of the performance issues.

What is Visa OneERS?

Another major change to come as a part of this update will be the introduction of the Visa’s OneERS technology.

OneERS is a new risk technology tool being introduced by Visa. It’s a case management apparatus that will allow Visa acquirers to independently monitor their portfolio performance. These acquirers can then automate key aspects of case management, with the goal being to improve operational efficiencies for all parties.

Visa will use OneERS to provide access to a performance tracking dashboard, letting acquirers see the key drivers of their performance. They can then engage in more self-service management of cases.

OneERS is designed to be usable for all risk management services in the Visa ecosystem. The tool uses a Microsoft Dynamics interface and is accessible through Visa Online for ease of use.

When Do All These Changes Take Effect?

Visa is going to take a gradual approach to the enforcement of these new rules and processes.

The rollout will begin with a six-month advisory period, extending from April 1 through September 30. Visa had previously stated that this advisory period would last for 90 days. But, they decided to extend the period after consulting with merchants and trade groups.

Visa will not assess any fines to acquirers during the advisory period. But, acquirers should take this time as an opportunity to ensure that they have appropriate risk controls in place.

Visa will start assessing fines to acquirers, in line with the table in the Revised VAMP Program Thresholds & Enforcement Levels section, beginning on October 1, 2025.

What Do Merchants & Acquirers Need to Do?

In short: make sure you’re using all the tools at your disposal.

As we mentioned above, disputes resolved through Verifi CDRN or Visa Rapid Dispute Resolution will not be included in Visa acquirer monitoring ratios. The same applies to inquiries resolved during the pre-dispute stage using Order Insight or Compelling Evidence 3.0.

At present, all chargebacks count against your chargeback ratio. Even if you refund a dispute to prevent a chargeback, it can still adversely affect your fraud-to-sales ratio and/or dispute-to-sales ratio. Plus, like we mentioned above, you will face higher processing fees and penalties if either of those indicators surpass a specific limit.

The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program will offer merchants a way to avoid the restrictions associated with VDMP and VFMP, provided disputes are resolved through designated Visa and Verifi channels. It will also lead to enhanced fraud coverage across the ecosystem.

The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program aims to assist acquirers in managing the levels of risk, fraud, and disputes in their portfolio.

These changes give acquirers more flexibility to manage their overall portfolio. It also enhances their ability to manage and maintain effective oversight of individual merchants.

In Conclusion...

Tools like CDRN, RDR, and Order Insight with CE3.0 are more crucial than ever in helping Visa merchants minimize dispute exposure. Moreover, resolving disputes through these platforms will not invite penalties.

Merchants can also expect additional benefits like increased authorization rates and lower reserve requirements owing to reduced dispute ratios.

The changes to the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program represent a significant evolution in compliance activity associated with dispute management. Our European clients can look forward to the same protective measures offered by our integrated tools of CDRN, RDR, and Order Insight, but now with additional flexibility in managing their processing ratios courtesy of VAMP.

Not currently using tools like CDRN or RDR? You’re leaving money on the table. Talk to one of our experts today to get started and see your fraud and chargeback liability shrink by as much as 90% overnight.