What Is VAMP (Visa Acquirer Monitoring Programme)?

The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Programme (VAMP) is a compliance and risk management system that monitors fraudulent transactions and chargeback activity across its global payment network. VAMP is designed to ensure that acquiring banks and the merchants they support maintain acceptable levels of fraud and disputes.

By establishing globally aligned fraud thresholds and ensuring consistent security and compliance standards worldwide, VAMP creates clarity and consistency for acquirers and merchants alike. When thresholds are exceeded, Visa may impose monitoring plans, financial penalties, or corrective action requirements.

VAMP applies across Visa's global network, including the US, Canada, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Latin America (LAC), and Central Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), with some country-specific variations.

Introduction to Acquirer Monitoring Program VAMP

VAMP is a streamlined initiative that helps acquiring banks and merchants manage and mitigate fraud risks and disputes. Designed to consolidate oversight into a single unified system aligned with global frameworks, the updated VAMP framework became effective on 1 April 2025, introducing new thresholds effective from 1 June 2025 following earlier announcements in 2024.

VAMP introduced a single, easy-to-read metric that measures the combined level of fraud, chargebacks, and enumeration activity relative to total transaction volume. It requires acquiring banks to monitor their entire merchant base beyond high-risk accounts.

Understanding VAMP is essential for anyone involved in the processing of Visa transactions. With its focus on globally aligned fraud thresholds and comprehensive monitoring, VAMP represents a significant step forward in Visa’s efforts to increase security and maintain the integrity of the payment ecosystem.

Why Did Visa Create VAMP?

As digital commerce expanded, fraudulent transactions and chargebacks were increasing in some merchant portfolios and acquiring institutions. Visa created VAMP to consolidate monitoring into a single framework and improve oversight across the payment ecosystem.

VAMP aims to strengthen fraud monitoring, increase accountability for acquiring banks, encourage proactive risk management, and create clearer enforcement thresholds.

What Did VAMP Replace?

Historically, fraud and chargebacks were monitored through two separate programmes, combined with operational risk frameworks and tools. These programmes were:

VAMP consolidates multiple fraud, dispute, and enumeration monitoring programs into a single global framework with unified metrics.

The shift to VAMP reflects a broader industry trend toward holistic risk monitoring, where fraud, disputes and suspicious transaction patterns are evaluated together rather than in isolation.

How VAMP Works

VAMP relies on a count-based metric that sums up the fraud and dispute counts (total monthly count) to assess overall transaction risk and compliance.

The typical VAMP process involves:

VAMP applies specifically to card-not-present (CNP) transactions processed through VisaNet. VAMP ratio.

The VAMP Ratio

The VAMP Ratio is the primary metric used to determine whether an acquirer exceeds Visa’s acceptable fraud and dispute levels. This ratio is:

Fraud disputes (TC40) + non-fraud disputes (TC15) for CNP transactions ÷ Settled Transactions (TC05) in the same month.

The VAMP count is determined by adding both fraud disputes (TC40) and non-fraud disputes (TC15) for card-not-present transactions. The VAMP ratio is then calculated by dividing the VAMP count by the total settled transactions in the same month.

In many regions (e.g. AP, Canada, EU, U.S.), merchants are only assessed under VAMP once they exceed a minimum monthly threshold of 1,500 combined fraud and dispute transactions.

A higher ratio indicates that a larger percentage of transactions involve fraud or disputes, which can signal weak risk management or high-risk merchants.

The Enumeration Ratio

The Enumeration Ratio measures the level of suspected card testing activity compared to overall transaction volume. Enumeration occurs when fraudsters systematically attempt multiple low-value or failed transactions to identify valid card details, often using automated scripts or bots

Visa relies on its Visa Account Attack Intelligence (VAAI) system, which leverages machine learning models, to identify and monitor these attacks as part of its broader fraud prevention framework.

The VAMP enumeration ratio is calculated by dividing enumerated authorisation transactions (approved and declined) by the total authorisation transactions (approved and declined).

Visa uses both an enumeration ratio threshold and an enumeration transaction count threshold (e.g. 300,000 transactions) to determine excessive activity.

Who Does VAMP Apply to?

VAMP primarily applies to acquiring banks, which are the financial institutions responsible for processing card payments on behalf of merchants. However, its impact extends beyond acquirers themselves.

Because merchant transaction activity directly contributes to the overall risk profile of the acquiring banks, merchants and eCommerce platforms are also affected by VAMP requirements. In practice, payment facilitators and gateways involved in processing Visa payments are also impacted.

VAMP Thresholds

Visa uses predefined thresholds to determine when acquirers exceed acceptable fraud or dispute levels. These thresholds are typically based on fraud volume, chargeback ratios, enumeration activity and total transaction volume. VAMP Ratio is calculated based on the merchant’s transactions

In general, merchants are flagged under VAMP only if they exceed 1,500 fraud or dispute cases per month. Merchants with fewer than 5 fraudulent or disputed transactions are excluded from the calculations.

Starting April 1, 2025, Visa’s Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) replaces old dispute rules, setting a 1.5% VAMP ratio threshold, which drops to 0.9% by January 2026 for high-risk merchants.

In regions such as AP, Canada, EU, and the U.S., the Excessive merchant threshold is typically ≥220 basis points (2.20%), reducing to ≥150 basis points (1.50%) from 1 April 2026.

An advisory grace period ran until 1 October 2025, following which enforcement measures and fines for VAMP non-compliance began. During this time, merchants and acquirers focused on managing their fraud and dispute ratios to avoid penalties.

Key dates:

VAMP Monitoring Categories

Under the VAMP framework, Visa classifies acquirers into different monitoring categories based on the level of fraud, chargebacks, and enumeration activity detected within their portfolios. These categories help Visa determine the level of oversight and corrective action required.

Early Warning Level

The Early Warning level indicates that an acquirer’s fraud or dispute activity is approaching the thresholds defined under VAMP. While penalties are not typically applied at this stage, it serves as a signal for the acquirer to review merchant activity and implement preventative measures.

Above Standard Level

If an acquirer exceeds Visa’s defined thresholds, it may be placed into Standard Monitoring. At this level, the acquirer is expected to take corrective action to reduce fraud and chargeback activity while being subject to increased oversight from Visa.

Excessive Level

The High or Excessive level represents the most serious monitoring category within VAMP. Acquirers placed in this category have significantly exceeded acceptable fraud or dispute thresholds and may face stricter remediation requirements, enhanced monitoring, and potential financial penalties.

What are the VAMP Fees?

VAMP fees are recurring financial charges applied when an acquirer remains above a monitoring threshold for an extended period. They are designed to incentivise timely corrective action and encourage acquirers to reduce fraud, chargebacks, and enumeration activity within their merchant portfolios.

VAMP fees are typically assessed monthly and increase depending on the severity of the monitoring level.

VAMP vs Merchant Monitoring Programmes

Effective merchant account management and coordination with payment providers are essential for tracking fraud and disputes across platforms. While VAMP focuses on acquiring banks, merchant monitoring programs focus on individual merchants.

What are the Fines?

VAMP fines are more punitive and targeted than fees. Visa imposes fines when an acquirer repeatedly fails to meet VAMP compliance requirements despite corrective action plans. Fines may be imposed in addition to fees and reflect serious or sustained non-compliance, sending a clear signal that continued high-risk activity is unacceptable. Fines under VAMP can vary significantly depending on the severity of the violation.

What's Excluded From the VAMP Ratio?

Not all disputes or transaction activity is included in the VAMP calculations. Exclusions generally fall into several categories, including certain types of fraud adjustments, invalid disputes and specific dispute reason codes.

Minimum thresholds apply before merchants are assessed under VAMP, rather than strict exclusions from the ratio calculation.

Disputes resolved through the Visa Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) are also not included in certain ratio calculations. RDR is a system that allows merchants to automatically refund specific customer disputes before they officially escalate to chargebacks. However, TC40 reports for these transactions still count toward the VAMP ratio.

How Acquirers Stay Compliant with VAMP

To remain compliant with VAMP, an acquiring bank must proactively monitor its merchants' portfolios and implement strong fraud prevention tools. Leveraging technological advancements, such as dynamic fraud rules and integrated risk management tools, is essential for staying compliant and enhancing transaction security. Acquirers must also educate staff on chargeback prevention tactics and ensure clear and transparent communication with customers.

Benefits of VAMP

VAMP delivers a range of benefits for both merchants and acquirers. Through its unified monitoring framework, VAMP helps organisations identify and address potential issues before they escalate, resulting in lower fraud rates and fewer disputes.

This approach supports effective fraud prevention and minimises operational costs associated with managing chargebacks and dispute resolution. Leveraging advanced analytics and robust risk controls, VAMP empowers acquirers and merchants to stay ahead of evolving fraud tactics and maintain a secure payment environment. VAMP enables stakeholders to focus on growth while maintaining compliance and protecting their reputation within the payments industry.

Role of Monitoring Programs

Visa's acquirer monitoring programs, like VAMP, prevent fraud disputes and preserve the security of the global payment system. By systematically tracking disputed and fraudulent transactions, VAMP enables early detection of suspicious activity and enumeration attacks, which are often precursors to larger-scale fraud. The implementation of strict thresholds and enforcement fees under VAMP encourages acquirers to prioritise robust fraud management practices proactively and maintain compliance with global standards.

Why VAMP Matters for Merchants

VAMP has an indirect impact on merchants since their transaction activity contributes to the acquirer’s overall risk profile. Acquirers may avoid working with merchants that exhibit high levels of fraud, chargebacks, or disputed transactions to reduce the likelihood of monitoring actions, corrective requirements, and potential fines. By prioritising fraud prevention, chargeback management, and accurate transaction reporting, merchants strengthen trust with acquirers and maintain their business integrity.

What Does This Mean for Acquirers?

VAMP represents a significant shift toward greater responsibility within the payments ecosystem for acquiring banks. Acquirers must, among others, monitor merchant portfolios, consolidate chargeback data and monitor chargeback ratios, invest in fraud detection technology and respond rapidly to emerging risks. Tracking disputes raised and working with card networks is essential for compliance with VAMP requirements.

Stay VAMP-Compliant with Confidence

As fraud patterns and dispute volumes continue to evolve, navigating VAMP requirements can be challenging for acquiring banks. Working with an experienced payments partner like DECTA simplifies compliance and helps prevent costly fines.

By combining advanced fraud prevention and monitoring with detailed reporting and powerful risk management tools, DECTA enables acquirers and merchants to maintain healthy risk levels and stay aligned with Visa standards. This means you can focus on growing your business - while staying fully confident that your payment operations remain compliant.

Ready to simplify VAMP compliance and reduce risk? Get in touch with DECTA today to see how we can support your business.