VAMP for Acquirers: Portfolio Chargeback Compliance

Why VAMP Reshapes Acquirer Compliance

Visa replaced the Visa Dispute Monitoring Program (VDMP) and Visa Fraud Monitoring Program (VFMP) with VAMP to consolidate oversight. For acquirers, this unification means there is no longer a split between fraud and dispute ratios. Instead, Visa is evaluating portfolios against a single, combined ratio that measures total fraud and dispute volume relative to overall transaction counts. The result is less room for error and less opportunity for merchants to mask deficiencies under separate programs.

Acquirers now shoulder direct responsibility for the aggregate performance of their entire portfolio.

Understanding the VAMP Ratio

The VAMP Ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of TC40 fraud alerts and TC15 disputes by the total number of settled transactions within the month. Monitoring applies once a merchant generates at least 1,500 combined disputes and alerts in that time period. After that threshold, the network applies escalating enforcement: “Above Standard” merchants are flagged for increased monitoring, and “Excessive” merchants can trigger immediate financial penalties. For acquirers, these thresholds mean individual merchant breaches are not isolated incidents, they contribute to the broader risk profile of the portfolio as a whole.

The Same-Month Resolution Mandate

Under VAMP, every dispute must be resolved within the same calendar month it is filed. A dispute filed on October 30th must be closed by October 31st, or it will count against the ratio.

This requirement introduces a potential end-of-month trap where unresolved cases filed late in the cycle can push ratios out of compliance and expose the entire portfolio to penalties.

This timing pressure shifts the operational burden onto acquirers who cannot rely on merchant-level processes alone. Even small clusters of unresolved disputes can have outsized impacts.

Without automation, the odds of clearing disputes in the final days of the month are slim. For acquirers managing thousands of merchants, this is a systemic risk that requires proactive planning and centralized monitoring.

Automation as the Only Scalable Safeguard

Manual reconciliation methods such as spreadsheets, staff reminders, or semi-integrated dashboards cannot keep pace with VAMP. The scale of portfolio monitoring makes them inherently unreliable. Automated dispute management provide real-time intake of TC40 and TC15 events, trigger same-day responses, and give acquirers a single dashboard to monitor performance at the portfolio level. This is not a nice-to-have, it is the only sustainable safeguard against sudden compliance failures that can cascade across hundreds or thousands of merchant accounts. With automation, acquirers can reduce systemic portfolio risk and avoid triggering network remediation protocols.

Resolution Networks in a Portfolio Context

Acquirers now need to ensure their merchants are connected to every available resolution channel. Visa Rapid Dispute Resolution automatically refunds transactions according to preset merchant rules. Verifi CDRN delivers direct alerts that allow pre-chargeback refunds. Ethoca Alerts provide real-time issuer notifications that stop fulfillment or trigger refunds instantly. Mastercom Collaboration allows issuers and acquirers to exchange evidence before a chargeback is finalized. Each of these services is valuable on its own, but the true compliance advantage comes when all are integrated through a single endpoint across an acquirer’s portfolio. Missed alerts, even a handful, can create ratio spikes large enough to trigger penalties.

Industry Pressure Points for Acquirers

Not all merchant verticals carry equal risk. Acquirers serving high-risk sectors face higher volumes of disputes and alerts by default. These verticals often push ratios close to enforcement thresholds even in the absence of intentional fraud. For acquirers, this means portfolio-level compliance strategies must account for industry mix. High-risk merchants require tighter monitoring, deeper integration into resolution networks, and a faster path to automation. Without that, acquirers risk being pulled into remediation protocols not because of systemic failure, but because of the predictable behavior of their merchant base.

Next Steps for Acquirers

The transition to VAMP enforcement is not a countdown, it is an ongoing requirement. Acquirers must review their current ratios, confirm that same-month resolution is already operational, and evaluate whether their dispute and fraud monitoring is fully automated. Those who rely on legacy processes are effectively gambling each month that they will not face a surge of late disputes that push ratios above thresholds. With penalties assessed in bulk at the start of each new month, this gamble exposes portfolios to unnecessary financial and reputational risk. If your organization has not yet centralized and automated resolution, contact our VAMP team now to assure compliance.

Why DisputeHelp?

DisputeHelp delivers the automation and portfolio-level visibility acquirers need to manage VAMP compliance. Our white-label platform integrates Visa RDR, Verifi CDRN, Ethoca Alerts, Order Insight, Consumer Clarity, and Mastercom Collaboration into a single endpoint. This gives acquirers a unified interface to monitor, automate, and enforce same-month resolution across thousands of merchants. With DisputeHelp’s solutions, acquirers can sustain low dispute-to-transaction ratios, avoid placement in monitoring programs, and extend merchant lifecycles. Most importantly, you can offer these capabilities as a value-added service under your own brand, strengthening relationships and protecting revenue at scale. Reach out to our team to learn how DisputeHelp supports acquirers under VAMP.