Visa VAMP 2026 Thresholds: 1.5% Excessive Rate Explained
Visa consolidated its monitoring programs into VAMP in April 2025. The April 2026 threshold tightening to 1.5% for North America changes the risk landscape for every merchant above 1% dispute rate.
Updated June 2026
What Changed: VDMP + VFMP Became VAMP
Before April 2025, Visa ran two separate monitoring programs: the Visa Dispute Monitoring Program (VDMP) for general chargebacks and the Visa Fraud Monitoring Program (VFMP) for fraud-specific disputes. Each had separate thresholds, calculations, and consequences.
In April 2025, Visa consolidated both into the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP). Key changes:
- Single ratio combining fraud reports (TC40) and disputes (TC15)
- Acquirer-level accountability (your processor is responsible for your ratio)
- A single merchant excessive threshold (the Above Standard tier applies to acquirer portfolios, not individual merchants)
- Merchant excessive threshold tightened from 2.2% to 1.5% for North America on 1 April 2026
VAMP Ratio Formula
VAMP Threshold Tiers
Visa's merchant excessive threshold was 2.2% from the April 2025 VAMP launch and tightened to 1.5% for the US, Canada, Europe and AP on 1 April 2026. CEMEA remains at 2.2%; Latin America and the Caribbean were already at 1.5%. The Above Standard tier (0.5%-0.69%) applies to acquirer portfolios, not individual merchants.
Enforcement Timeline
VAMP launches, replacing VDMP and VFMP. Single ratio formula. Merchant excessive threshold set at 2.2% for an initial advisory period.
Enforcement begins. After the April-September transition, the $8-per-dispute fee applies to enrolled merchants (with a 3-month grace period for first-time identification).
Acquirer-level Above Standard enforcement begins (acquirer portfolios above 0.5%).
Merchant excessive threshold tightens from 2.2% to 1.5% for the US, Canada, Europe and AP. Merchants between 1.5% and 2.2% who were previously compliant are now in the Excessive tier.
Mastercard ECM: Side-by-Side Comparison
Both programs carry minimum count thresholds, so very small merchants rarely trigger them on volume alone: Mastercard ECM needs 100+ chargebacks a month and Visa VAMP needs 1,500+ fraud and dispute cases a month. The key difference is that VAMP folds TC40 fraud reports into the ratio, while Mastercard counts formal chargebacks only.
How to Calculate Your VAMP Ratio
Step by Step
- Get your monthly settled transaction count from your processor dashboard
- Count the total disputes received that month (all reason codes)
- Add any TC40 fraud reports (ask your processor for this number)
- Divide: (disputes + fraud reports) / settled transactions
- Multiply by 100 for the percentage
Example
What Happens When You Enter Monitoring
Immediate Impact
- The $8-per-dispute VAMP fee begins (after a 3-month grace period for first-time identification)
- Acquirer notifies you formally and may require a remediation plan
- Your processor may increase reserve requirements (hold 5-10% of your volume)
- Higher processing rates and closer transaction review
How to Exit
- Maintain ratio below threshold for 3-6 consecutive months
- Document remediation steps taken (prevention tools deployed, policy changes)
- Provide monthly reporting to your acquirer showing improvement
- Expect fines to continue during the recovery period
- Some acquirers require 6+ months of sustained compliance before full exit
FAQ
What is the VAMP threshold for North America in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the merchant excessive threshold is 1.5% VAMP ratio for the US, Canada, Europe and AP. This is a tightening from the 2.2% threshold that applied during the 2025 launch period. There is no separate merchant Above Standard tier; the 0.5%-0.69% Above Standard band is measured on acquirer portfolios. Merchants between 1.5% and 2.2% who were previously compliant are now in the Excessive tier.
Does VAMP include TC40 fraud reports, not just chargebacks?
Yes. Unlike the old VDMP which only counted disputes, VAMP includes both TC40 fraud reports and TC15 disputes in the numerator. This means a cardholder reporting fraud to their bank (without filing a formal dispute) still counts against your ratio.
How does Mastercard ECM differ from Visa VAMP?
Mastercard ECM triggers at a 1.5% chargeback ratio with 100 to 299 chargebacks a month (HECM at 3.0% with 300+). Visa VAMP enrolls merchants at 1.5% but requires 1,500+ fraud and dispute cases a month, and it folds TC40 fraud reports into the ratio, whereas Mastercard counts formal chargebacks only.
What is the MATCH list?
The MATCH (Member Alert to Control High-Risk Merchants) list, formerly TMF (Terminated Merchant File), is maintained by Mastercard. If your account is terminated for excessive chargebacks, your business is added. Being on the MATCH list makes it nearly impossible to open a new merchant account for 5 years.
Can I appeal a VAMP monitoring placement?
Monitoring is data-driven and automatic. You cannot appeal the placement itself. However, you can work with your acquirer to demonstrate that a temporary spike (from a bad product batch, seasonal fraud, etc.) is being actively addressed. The focus should be on the remediation plan, not contesting the numbers.