Visa's New and Improved (Vamp) Prepare Your Business for Changes
Jan 15
4 min read
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What Does This Mean for eCommerce Merchants
Finding the Right Payment Processor a Case Study
The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) is Visa’s solution to minimize risks in its payment ecosystem by monitoring and controlling fraud and disputes. Traditionally, acquirers and merchants exceeding dispute or fraud thresholds could face fines, restricted activities, or even account terminations.
The updated VAMP will streamline these processes to offer more flexibility while prioritizing fraud prevention and compliance. Instead of separate monitoring for fraud and disputes, Visa will introduce a new transaction-count-based metric combining fraud and non-fraud disputes. Additionally, it will use advanced tools, like Visa’s Account Attack Intelligence (VAAI) Score system, to refine monitoring accuracy. These updates are designed to give acquirers and merchants greater flexibility to manage compliance while ensuring fraud prevention remains a top priority. However, the changes also come with potential penalties for noncompliance, such as fines and elevated scrutiny.
What We Expect
From April 1, 2025, Visa will implement significant updates under VAMP, including the following changes:
Unified Fraud and Dispute Tracking
Fraud and non-fraud disputes will now be combined into one monitoring metric, simplifying oversight but heightening the focus on overall transaction health.
Advanced Technology with VAAI
Visa will move away from old systems like Risk Operations Center (ROC)-blocked transactions and instead use tools like VAAI for more accurate fraud detection.
Risk-Based Enforcement
Visa will shift from blanket non-compliance fees to a more risk-based enforcement model, providing greater flexibility for acquirers and merchants with varying risk tolerances.
New Penalty Thresholds
Acquirers and merchants exceeding threshold ratios (fraud and enumeration) will be required to submit a remediation plan and could face penalties if corrective actions aren't taken quickly. Specific fees will vary based on region, merchant activity, and performance.
What Does This Mean for eCommerce Merchants
While the changes are primarily targeted at acquirers, merchants will feel the ripple effects. Here’s what it means for your eCommerce business:
Potential Fines for Disputes and Fraud
If you exceed Visa’s dispute thresholds, your acquirer may pass fines and penalties directly onto you. For eCommerce businesses with high sales volumes, even small increases in disputes could have costly consequences.
Focus on Fraud Prevention
Fraudulent transactions, including those resulting from account enumeration, will have a more significant impact on your ratios under the new system. Strengthening fraud controls will be essential to maintaining compliance.
Lower Processing Costs for Proactive Merchants
Merchants using Visa and Verifi’s dispute resolution tools—like Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) and Order Insight—will not have disputes count against them in VAMP metrics. This can help lower your dispute ratio and prevent penalties.
Improved Flexibility for Acquirers
Acquirers will now have more tailored risk management protocols, which could improve your working relationship with your payment processor and even unlock better rates or fewer restrictions with compliant practices.
Handling the New Changes
Preparing for the changes to VAMP doesn’t have to feel like a daunting task. By taking strategic and proactive steps, you can stay compliant and ensure your payment systems remain seamless and effective. Start by strengthening your fraud controls with tools like 3D Secure, tokenization, and advanced fraud detection software to reduce risks and improve your fraud-to-sales ratios. Next, focus on optimizing your dispute management by leveraging solutions like Verifi’s Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) or Order Insight. These tools can quickly resolve disputes before they escalate into chargebacks, protecting your metrics. Regularly monitor your fraud-to-sales and dispute-to-sales ratios to identify and address potential issues early. Lastly, cultivate a strong relationship with your acquirer or payment processor by discussing your risk profile and exploring collaborative approaches to compliance under the new VAMP guidelines. Taking these steps will position your business for continued success and stability in the evolving payment landscape.
How Compaytence Can Help You
At Compaytence, we know that navigating Visa compliance can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. Our team of payment experts specializes in helping eCommerce merchants like you reduce fraud, lower dispute rates, and avoid costly penalties.
We can help you:
Implement fraud prevention strategies tailored to your business.
Leverage the right tools like Rapid Dispute Resolution and Order Insight effectively.
Optimize your payment setup to ensure compliance while maximizing profitability.
The upcoming changes to VAMP represent a new era in risk management for the payments industry. Don’t wait until penalties or fines force action—be proactive and protect your business today.
Book a call with a Compaytence expert now, and see how we can help you reduce chargebacks, boost profits, and streamline compliance.
Your business deserves payments that work for you, not against you. Take action today.
Finding the Right Payment Processor a Case Study
When a client in the health and wellness industry—typically considered high-risk by payment service providers (PSPs)—was abruptly dropped by their processor, they faced an urgent two-week deadline to find a suitable replacement. Without a new PSP, their ability to accept payments was at risk, jeopardizing revenue and customer relationships.
Thanks to our longstanding relationships across the payment processing industry and a deep understanding of the client’s needs, we stepped in immediately. Leveraging our connection with their existing processor, we secured an extension on their deadline, stretching it to four weeks. Within that time, we successfully onboarded them with a new, reliable PSP tailored to their business model. The result? The client resumed seamless payment operations without any downtime—and couldn’t have been more satisfied with their new payment partner.
If you’re navigating challenges with your payment processor or need expert guidance, reach out to us today. We’re here to get results, fast.
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