What is Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) and why should merchants care?

Visa’s VAMP (Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program) is officially going into effect this October 2025. Designed to protect all parties in the payment ecosystem, VAMP establishes clear standards for how merchants, issuers, and acquirers manage disputes, fraud, and chargebacks.

For merchants, this means that your ability to process payments is no longer guaranteed if thresholds for disputes or fraudulent activity are exceeded. VAMP is here to ensure businesses take proactive measures — and those who don’t risk account restrictions, fines, or even shutdowns.

What is VAMP?

VAMP consolidates Visa’s previous Fraud Monitoring Program (VFMP) and Dispute Monitoring Program (VDMP) into a unified framework. This program introduces two key metrics:

• VAMP ratio: The combined rate of fraudulent (TC40) and disputed (TC15) transactions divided by total settled transactions.
• Enumeration ratio: The percentage of card-not-present transactions identified as enumeration attempts, indicating potential fraud testing.

Merchants exceeding specific thresholds in these metrics may be classified as “Excessive,” leading to enforcement actions.

Key VAMP metrics and thresholds

Note: These thresholds are subject to change, and merchants should stay informed about updates.

Consequences of exceeding VAMP thresholds

Merchants identified as “Excessive” under VAMP may face:

• Fines: $8 per fraudulent or disputed transaction.
• Increased scrutiny: Enhanced monitoring by Visa and acquirers.
• Account termination: Potential loss of Visa processing capabilities.

Acquirers may also impose stricter thresholds and penalties to manage their portfolios effectively.

Best practices for staying compliant

Merchants can take actionable steps to reduce risk under VAMP:

1. Enable 3D Secure: Adds an authentication step to prevent fraudulent transactions.
2. Velocity checks: Monitor transaction frequency and amounts to identify suspicious activity.
3. Clear billing descriptors: Ensure your company name is recognizable on statements to avoid “friendly fraud.”
4. Transparent refund and cancellation policies: Easy-to-follow, customer-friendly processes help prevent disputes.
5. Strong shipping and receipt documentation: Proof of delivery is critical for dispute resolution.

Mini tip: Merchants who actively manage disputes can prevent thousands of dollars in losses each month.

How to protect your business

Chargebacks, disputes, and online fraud are no longer “nice-to-haves” — they’re a necessity for any eCommerce business. With the upcoming changes under Visa’s VAMP program (effective October 2025), merchants need to take proactive steps to protect their accounts, their revenue, and their business reputation. Bankful’s Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) and Chargeback Alerts (CDRN) are designed to do just that — offering an easy, affordable way to reduce risk and protect your business.

Why you need RDR

Think of RDR as an alarm system for your eCommerce business. Without it, even a single chargeback could threaten your ability to process payments or keep your account open. Disputes and fraud are rising across all industries, and Visa’s VAMP program is formalizing protection measures to help all parties involved in a transaction — merchants, issuers, and acquirers.

• Disputes are costly: Imagine a $600 chargeback on a single high-ticket item — it can shut down a small merchant overnight.
• Fines and shutdowns are real: Merchants without preventative measures risk account closures or limited access to new payment partners.
• Friendly fraud is preventable: Clear billing descriptors and separation of subscription vs. one-time charges can reduce false disputes.

RDR is not just reactive — it helps you actively prevent and resolve chargebacks, keeping your business running smoothly.

How RDR and Chargeback alerts work

• RDR (Rapid Dispute Resolution): Allows merchants to quickly respond to disputes, maximizing the chances of resolving them in your favor.
• CDRN (Chargeback Alerts): Sends simple Visa notifications whenever a chargeback occurs, giving merchants the chance to act early.

Together, they function as an insurance policy — for just $10/month, you get coverage that can save thousands in chargeback losses.

Key tips to reduce Chargeback risk

1. Use clear billing descriptors: Ensure your company name is recognizable to customers on statements.
2. Separate subscription vs. one-time purchases: Different dispute profiles require different handling.
3. Implement easy cancellations and fast refunds: Customer-friendly policies reduce disputes.
4. Provide strong shipping and receipt evidence: Proof of delivery can help win disputes.
5. Leverage a secondary MID: Bankful allows multiple MIDs in one gateway for backup processing and continuity.

How to activate RDR in Your Bankful account

RDR is available as an add-on to your existing Bankful plan. Activating it is simple:

1. Log in to your merchant dashboard.
2. Navigate to the RDR/Chargeback Protection section.
3. Follow the steps to enable RDR and CDRN for your account.
4. For questions, your Bankful sales representative is ready to help.

Pro tip: Most merchants aren’t using RDR yet — early adoption gives you a competitive advantage and ensures you stay protected under VAMP regulations.

Why Bankful is Different

Unlike other providers, Bankful is all-in-one: we integrate with every major processor, offer in-house technology and support, and can help orchestrate multiple MIDs to minimize disruption. No brokers, no referrals — just one partner, full coverage, and peace of mind.

RDR is more than a tool — it’s a safeguard for your business, a way to protect your revenue, and a step toward smarter, safer eCommerce operations.