Visa VAMP: Acquirer Monitoring Programme Complete Guide (2025)
What Is Visa VAMP?
Visa VAMP (Visa Acquirer Monitoring Programme) launched in October 2025, replacing the old VDMP (Visa Dispute Monitoring Programme) and VFMP (Visa Fraud Monitoring Programme). It is a single unified programme that monitors acquirers — not merchants directly — but acquirers pass fines and requirements down to merchants. Merchants who trigger VAMP thresholds face fines, remediation plans, and ultimately termination from card acceptance.
VAMP replaced VDMP and VFMP in October 2025. If you were previously in VDMP or VFMP, those programmes no longer apply — VAMP is the single monitoring programme.
VAMP Thresholds
| Threshold Level | Chargeback Rate | Time Period | Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ≥ 0.9% | Monthly | Warning letter |
| Excessive | ≥ 1.8% | Monthly | Fine: $10,000/month |
| Critical | ≥ 2.0% | 3 consecutive months | Programme placement + $25,000/month |
| Termination | ≥ 2.0% | 6 consecutive months | Potential card acceptance termination |
Chargeback rate = total chargebacks ÷ total transactions (same month prior).
How VAMP Works
- 1Visa monitors all acquirers monthly
- 2Acquirer receives notification if a merchant exceeds thresholds
- 3Acquirer notifies merchant and begins remediation
- 4Merchant must submit a remediation plan within 30 days
- 5Monthly reviews continue until rate drops below threshold
- 6Fines pass from Visa → acquirer → merchant
You may already be in VAMP
Many merchants don't know they're being monitored until their acquirer contacts them. If your chargeback rate has exceeded 0.9% in any recent month, request a dispute rate report from your payment processor immediately.
Why merchants enter VAMP
- ✗High friendly fraud / first-party misuse
- ✗Poor refund policy leading to chargebacks instead of refunds
- ✗Subscription billing without clear cancellation
- ✗CNP fraud (stolen card transactions)
- ✗Product quality or delivery issues generating disputes
- ✗Unclear billing descriptor causing "I don't recognise this" chargebacks
How to exit VAMP
- ✓Dispute every illegitimate chargeback to bring rate down
- ✓Proactively refund before chargebacks are filed
- ✓Improve billing descriptor clarity (include phone number)
- ✓Send delivery confirmations and tracking numbers
- ✓Add Visa CE 3.0 evidence to high-value disputes
- ✓Implement 3DS/3DS2 for high-risk transactions
- ✓Use Order Insight / Ethoca alerts to cancel disputes pre-chargeback
Evidence That Helps Reduce VAMP Rate
- Required
Win existing chargebacks — every won dispute reduces your rate
- Required
Track your chargeback rate weekly, not just monthly
- Strongly recommended
Implement RDR (Rapid Dispute Resolution) for automatic refunds on low-value disputes
- Strongly recommended
Use Order Insight to deflect pre-dispute inquiries
- If available
Ethoca Alerts (Mastercard network) for cross-network early warnings
Visa CE 3.0 — highest-impact tool for reducing your VAMP rate
For Visa 10.4 (fraud) chargebacks — which are the most common VAMP contributor — Visa Compelling Evidence 3.0 lets you shift liability entirely if you can show 2+ prior undisputed transactions from the same device and IP within the past 365 days. This is the single highest-impact tool for reducing your VAMP rate.
Learn how to use CE 3.0 →Key Timelines
Monthly: Visa calculates your dispute rate
Day 1 of following month: Acquirer receives Visa notification (if threshold exceeded)
Day 1–30: Acquirer notifies merchant; merchant must begin remediation plan
Month 3: Excessive fine ($10,000/month) begins if still above 1.8%
Month 6: Critical risk of programme termination if above 2.0% for 6 months
Prevention Tips
- 1Monitor your chargeback rate weekly using your payment processor's dashboard
- 2Set an internal alert at 0.65% — gives you buffer before hitting the 0.9% threshold
- 3Make your refund policy frictionless: a refund costs less than a chargeback fine
- 4Use a recognisable billing descriptor with a support phone number
- 5After any spike, audit transaction logs to identify the root cause before it compounds
Frequently asked questions
What is the Visa VAMP programme?
Visa VAMP (Visa Acquirer Monitoring Programme) is Visa's unified chargeback and fraud monitoring system that replaced VDMP and VFMP in October 2025. It monitors acquirers monthly and flags merchants whose dispute rates exceed defined thresholds, resulting in fines and potential card acceptance termination.
What chargeback rate triggers Visa VAMP?
The standard threshold is 0.9% (total chargebacks ÷ total transactions in the same calendar month). At 1.8% you enter the excessive tier with $10,000/month fines. At 2.0% for 3+ consecutive months you face critical placement. At 2.0% for 6+ consecutive months, Visa may terminate your card acceptance.
How do I exit the Visa VAMP programme?
You exit VAMP by reducing your chargeback rate below the threshold and maintaining it there for the review period. The most effective actions are: winning existing chargebacks, proactively refunding before disputes are filed, using Visa CE 3.0 for fraud chargebacks, and implementing Order Insight/RDR alerts. There is no shortcut — the rate must genuinely drop.
Did Visa VAMP replace VDMP and VFMP?
Yes. Visa VAMP replaced both the Visa Dispute Monitoring Programme (VDMP) and Visa Fraud Monitoring Programme (VFMP) effective October 2025. VAMP combines dispute and fraud monitoring into a single unified programme with unified thresholds.
Related guides
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