If you operate in a high-risk industry—like crypto, supplements, coaching, adult, or gaming—Visa’s updated 2025 VAMP rules directly affect how you process payments. The new thresholds are stricter, enforcement is faster, and early warnings have been removed.
Falling outside the limits now comes with real consequences: fines, restrictions, frozen funds, or even termination of your merchant account. This checklist is here to help you stay in control, stay compliant, and continue growing your business without interruptions.
What is VAMP—and what’s changed in 2025?
VAMP stands for Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program. It replaces and merges previous Visa monitoring programmes into one unified compliance framework. In short, Visa is putting more pressure on acquirers and merchants to reduce both fraud and dispute ratios.
Here’s what’s important:
Merchant thresholds:
- Above standard: 0.9% dispute ratio
- Excessive: 1.5% dispute ratio (where penalties kick in)
Acquirer thresholds:
- Above standard: 0.3%
- Excessive: 0.5%
Visa now applies enforcement fees at 0.30%, and there are no longer “early warning” thresholds. That means businesses need to act quickly and proactively to avoid falling into penalty territory.
The 2025 VAMP compliance checklist
1. Monitor dispute ratios weekly
Disputes are no longer something you review once a month. You need to stay on top of them constantly. Even a few percentage points can make a big difference now that enforcement fees apply earlier.
- Set up automated tracking or alerts
- Break down disputes by product, reason code, and traffic source
- Investigate sudden spikes immediately
2. Strengthen fraud prevention
High-risk businesses must do more to stay below fraud ratio limits. Card-not-present fraud is especially common and can quickly trigger reviews.
- Use 3D Secure 2.0 and AVS
- Implement fraud scoring tools
- Review and block suspicious traffic sources
3. Make your billing descriptor clear
Confused customers often file chargebacks. If your billing name doesn’t match what people expect, they may assume the transaction is fraudulent.
- Align your descriptor with your website or brand
- Include a support contact if space allows
- Test how the charge appears on customer statements
4. Offer fast refunds—before chargebacks happen
Issuing a refund costs less than dealing with a dispute. If a customer is unhappy or confused, a quick refund can avoid a bigger problem.
- Make refund options easy to find
- Respond to requests within 24–48 hours
- Train your team to prioritise resolution over escalation
5. Audit your marketing and checkout flows
Vague product claims or unclear terms are a fast way to attract chargebacks. Customers need to know what they’re buying, when they’re billed, and how to cancel.
- Be clear about pricing, billing cycles, and trial terms
- Avoid misleading or exaggerated promises
- Include cancellation and refund policies in plain view
6. Support matters—invest in customer service
Many chargebacks happen because the buyer couldn’t reach anyone for help. Good support can prevent a lot of unnecessary disputes.
- Offer email, live chat, or phone support
- Respond quickly and follow up on unresolved issues
- Keep a log of all customer interactions
7. Use tools that simplify compliance
There are great services that help reduce chargebacks, detect fraud, and manage disputes more efficiently.
- Sign up for real-time dispute alerts (e.g. Verifi, Ethoca)
- Automate chargeback responses
- Track high-risk transactions and trigger internal reviews
8. Prepare for traffic or sales spikes
Big promotions or seasonal traffic can cause issues if your systems aren’t ready, and payment providers notice these spikes.
- Document campaign timelines
- Inform your PSP before launching something big
- Make sure support and fulfilment can scale with demand
9. Keep detailed records
Winning disputes comes down to evidence. Without receipts, delivery confirmation, or customer communication logs, your odds of success drop.
- Store order confirmation, delivery proof, and correspondence
- Keep everything for at least 12 months
- Use automation where possible to save time
For high-risk sectors: go further
Visa expects high-risk merchants to maintain tighter controls. If you’re in crypto, adult, coaching, or digital subscriptions, you should:
- Provide full transparency about your services
- Include refund and cancellation terms on all checkout pages
- Maintain a clean online reputation and respond to public complaints
Already near or over the limit? Here’s what to do
If you’ve already hit or are approaching the 0.9% or 1.5% threshold, don’t wait. Take proactive steps now:
- Contact your PSP or acquirer to discuss next actions
- Review whether you’re eligible for mitigation programmes
- Optimise your billing and customer journey to reduce complaints
- Consider a backup merchant account or an alternative PSP
If you don’t act, your provider might suspend or close your account without notice.
Final thoughts
Visa’s VAMP rules in 2025 aren’t just a policy update—they’re a shift in how risk is managed across the entire payments ecosystem. For high-risk merchants, it means higher standards, closer monitoring, and less room for error.
But compliance doesn’t have to be a burden. With the right systems, clear communication, and a bit of planning, you can stay well within the limits and keep your business running smoothly.
Need support? Book a free consultation with our team to review your setup and reduce your dispute exposure.
For more on the topic, read our related guide: VAMP 2025: Key Changes to Visa’s New Fraud & Dispute Rules for Merchants & PSPs
Disclaimer
Widelia and its affiliates do not provide tax, investment, legal, or accounting advice. Material on this page has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, investment, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction. Please visit https://widelia.com/disclaimer/ for more information.
