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What you can do to stay ahead of VAMP

Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) introduces stricter fraud and dispute thresholds, with fines and penalties starting October 1, 2025. Here are steps you can take today to protect your business.

What is VAMP?

Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) establishes stricter rules around fraud and chargeback thresholds.

Merchants who exceed these limits may face penalties, fines, or even termination. Even low-risk businesses can be impacted if they don’t have the right protections in place. Enforcement begins October 1, 2025, with stricter thresholds on January 1, 2026.

What is VAMP?

Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) establishes stricter rules around fraud and chargeback thresholds.

  • Merchants who exceed these limits may face penalties, fines, or even termination
  • Even low-risk businesses can be impacted if they don’t have the right protections in place
  • Enforcement begins October 1, 2025, with stricter thresholds on January 1, 2026

Why should merchants care?

  • Financial Impact: High chargeback ratios can trigger fines and increased fees
  • Business Risk: Repeated violations may result in permanently losing card acceptance abilities
  • Competitive Pressure: Merchants who aren’t prepared may fall behind being better-protected

VAMP Thresholds & Calculations

Visa has set new thresholds for acceptable fraud and dispute rates under VAMP.

VAMP Ratio:

(TC40 + TC15 ÷ TC05)
Penalties apply if the ratio exceeds 2.2% through March 2026
and 1.5% starting April 2026.

Minimum Case Count

Merchants must exceed 1,500 combined cases per month (fraud + disputes)
before Visa takes enforcement action.

Portfolio Risk:

Acquirers may apply stricter internal limits to protect themselves, which means merchants may be flagged earlier than Visa’s published thresholds.

With VAMP Protection Solutions, you can offer merchants a complete toolkit of fraud prevention, chargeback management, and secure payment capabilities.

Included solutions:

  • 3D Secure (3DS): Authenticate cardholders and reduce fraud.
  • Order Insight + CE 3.0: Take quick action and save costs on disputed orders
  • Kount Fraud Tools: AI-driven fraud detection pre- and post-transaction.
  • Network Tokens: Secure, dynamic tokens that lower fraud risk.
  • Rapid Dispute Resolution & Post-transaction chargeback management.
  • Merchant Relationship Management (MRM) Reporting: Visibility into chargeback data for proactive monitoring.

Email Templates for Merchants

Please note : We do  not provide direct guidance on how you communicate with your merchants. The content provided here is for informational purposes only and intended as a resource you may choose to adapt for your own use.

Awareness Email (all merchants)

Subject: Visa’s New VAMP Rules: What You Need to Know Hi.

[Merchant Name],

Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) introduces stricter rules for fraud and disputes. Starting October 1, 2025, merchants who exceed limits face fines up to $8 per dispute.

To help you prepare, we’ve put together a quick guide with steps you can take now: [Download Guide)

Don’t wait until enforcement begins — let’s review your fraud and dispute ratios together and put protections in place.

– [Your Company Name]

High-Risk Merchant Email

Subject: Subiect: Avoid VAMP Penalties — Act Now Hil

[Merchant Name],

Your business may be considened hich risk under Visa’s new VaMt rules, beginnne October 1, 202o, exceeding taresholds can result in tines and portiolia level penalties.

to protect you, we recommend activating our VAMP Protection Solutions. which includes mud prevention. chargeback management, and monitorng tools

Here’s your next steps

  • Review the attached guide
  • Connect with us to set up fraud protaction immediately

Don’t wait _ every dispute counts starting October 1,

– [Your Company Name]

Understand Your Risk

  • Ask your provider how VAMP thresholds will impact you
  • Remember: thresholds may vary by acquirer, and processors often use their own stricter
    internal limits
  • Don’t assume you’re safe just because you’re “under Visa’s radar”

Strengthen Fraud Prevention

  • Implement tools like 3D Secure, velocity checks, and device fingerprinting
  • Block enumeration fraud (fraudsters testing stolen cards online)
  • Keep your dispute and fraud ratios well below Visa’s published limits

Monitor Chargebacks and Fraud Proactively

  • Track your TC40 (fraud reports) and TC15 (disputes) monthly
  • Don’t wait for Visa or your processor to alert you. Monitor your ratios yourself
  • If you can’t access this data directly, push your provider to share it

Tighten Internal Thresholds

  • Set your own dispute/fraud targets lower than Visa’s limits
  • Merchants that were once “borderline” under old rules may now need stronger controls
    or operational changes
  • Act early to avoid surprises when enforcement begins

Use Pre-Dispute & Resolution Tools

  • Tools like Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR), Order Insight, and CDRN can stop disputes
    before they count against you
  • Quick action on alerts can prevent disputes from escalating into chargebacks

Bottom Line

VAMP changes the rules for everyone. By knowing your ratios, tightening controls, and acting early,
you can:

  • Ask Avoid costly fines and penalties
  • Maintain your ability to accept cards
  • Build stronger trust with customers and processors