Visa’s Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) has already reshaped the way fraud and disputes are managed across the payment ecosystem. While the program was designed to protect against fraud, chargebacks, and enumeration attacks, it has created an environment where even good merchants are facing fines or outright account termination. Many of these closures are happening not because the merchants themselves are problematic, but because of how VAMP applies penalties at both the merchant and acquirer portfolio levels.
If you recently lost your merchant account despite maintaining strong practices, you are not alone. Below we break down how VAMP works, why responsible merchants are still being terminated, and how Corepay can help you protect your business.
How VAMP Works
VAMP combines Visa’s fraud and dispute monitoring programs into one consolidated ratio. This ratio is reviewed every month and uses the following calculation:
VAMP Ratio = (TC40 fraud reports + TC15 disputes) ÷ total settled card-not-present transactions
VAMP oversight happens in two different ways.
Acquirer-Level Monitoring
- Acquirers are included in VAMP once they process at least 1,500 combined fraud and dispute cases in a month.
- When an acquirer’s ratio rises above 50 basis points, they are considered Above Standard.
- When the ratio reaches 70 basis points, they are classified as Excessive.
- At these levels Visa applies fines across the entire acquirer portfolio, not just on the merchants who exceeded the line. Most acquirers push these fines down to their merchants.
Merchant-Level Monitoring
- A merchant is considered Excessive if their own VAMP ratio exceeds 220 basis points.
- In April 2026 the merchant threshold in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific will be lowered to 150 basis points.
- Merchants identified as Excessive face direct fines and ongoing scrutiny from Visa.
Why Good Merchants Are Still At Risk
Many merchants are surprised to discover that they can still be penalized even when they remain below Visa’s Excessive thresholds. This happens because VAMP evaluates both individual merchants and entire acquirer portfolios at the same time.
- Portfolio drag: Even if your business is under 220 basis points, you can still face penalties if your acquirer portfolio rises above 50 or 70 basis points.
- Fee pass-through: Acquirers reserve the right to push Visa’s portfolio fines down to individual merchants.
- Termination pressure: To protect themselves, acquirers often close accounts for merchants hovering near 50 to 70 basis points even though those merchants are technically compliant.
- Descriptor grouping: VAMP calculates ratios at the descriptor level, which means multiple MIDs tied to the same descriptor can be grouped together and counted as one. If one MID has problems, all MIDs under that descriptor are affected.
- Double counting: A fraud case that becomes a dispute may be counted twice, once as a TC40 and again as a TC15, inflating the ratio.
How Corepay Can Help Merchants Who Were Wrongly Terminated
Being terminated under VAMP can feel unfair, especially when you have done everything right. Many merchants are caught off guard because they were maintaining ratios below Visa’s Excessive threshold, yet their acquirer’s portfolio performance triggered fines and forced account closures. Corepay helps these merchants get back on track by providing the following support:
- Rapid reboarding: Corepay specializes in high-risk and complex industries, which means we can often get terminated merchants reapproved quickly with one of our acquiring partners.
- Portfolio risk management: We work with acquirers who actively manage their portfolios to avoid unnecessary portfolio drag. This means your account is not as vulnerable to other merchants’ poor practices.
- Dispute resolution integration: Our platform integrates with tools like RDR, Order Insight, CDRN, and Compelling Evidence 3.0 to reduce the number of fraud and dispute events that count toward your VAMP ratio.
- Descriptor strategy: If your termination was tied to descriptor-level grouping, Corepay can help restructure how your MIDs and descriptors are organized, reducing the chance of being penalized unfairly.
- Transparent communication: We keep you informed of your ratios and provide clear guidance if risks begin to rise. Instead of blindsiding merchants with closures, we work collaboratively on solutions.
For merchants who were unfairly terminated, Corepay offers a second chance and a safer processing environment designed around the realities of VAMP.
VAMP Risk Thresholds At A Glance
| Level | Threshold | Minimum Monthly Cases | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acquirer Above Standard | 50 bps | 1,500 | Portfolio fines across all merchants |
| Acquirer Excessive | 70 bps | 1,500 | Larger fines and increased account closures |
| Merchant Excessive | 220 bps (150 bps from April 2026 in certain regions) | 1,500 | Direct fines and stricter monitoring |
What Merchants Should Do
- Stay well below thresholds
Do not aim to just remain under 220 basis points. Safe merchants often aim below 100 basis points to leave room for unexpected increases. - Resolve disputes within the same month
Tools such as Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR), Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network (CDRN), Order Insight, and Compelling Evidence 3.0 are critical because disputes resolved quickly may not be included in VAMP calculations. - Communicate with your acquirer
Ask how they track VAMP ratios across their entire portfolio and what their action plan is if they exceed 50 basis points. - Review your descriptors
Ensure that multiple MIDs are not unnecessarily tied together under one descriptor which can increase exposure. - Choose partners carefully
The right processor can make the difference between staying compliant or being terminated due to another merchant’s poor performance.
How Corepay Protects Merchants From VAMP Termination
Corepay has built its platform specifically to address these new risks and to protect good merchants from unfair account closures.
- Proactive monitoring: We watch both merchant and portfolio ratios in real time so problems can be addressed before fines or closures occur.
- In-month dispute management: Our technology integrates directly with dispute resolution tools to resolve issues before they appear in Visa’s reporting.
- Descriptor management: We help merchants set up descriptors strategically to reduce the risk of being grouped incorrectly.
- Portfolio controls: Corepay manages exposure across industries to reduce drag and minimize the chance that other merchants’ disputes affect your account.
- Transparent approach: Instead of passing through fines without explanation, we work directly with you to find solutions.
Bottom Line
VAMP was designed to protect the card-not-present ecosystem, but its structure means that responsible merchants can still be penalized if their acquirer portfolio tips over Visa’s thresholds. Even if your ratios are within acceptable limits, you may still face fines or termination due to portfolio-level risk.
If your merchant account was terminated due to VAMP, Corepay can help. We specialize in supporting complex and high-risk industries, offering the compliance expertise, monitoring tools, and partnerships needed to keep your business safe.
Contact Us Today
Contact Corepay today for a free VAMP risk assessment. Our team will review your ratios, your dispute management processes, and your acquirer exposure so that you can get back to processing safely and confidently.
