TL;DR Summary:
A reactive “wait and see” approach to VAMP is a failing strategy. To stay compliant, you must be proactive. Payscout helps you get ahead (and stay ahead) of VAMP with four key tools:
1) A real-time VAMP Health Monitor,
2) Predictive alerts that warn you before you’re near a threshold,
3) Advanced fraud prevention to block TC40s, and
4) Automated dispute deflection to reduce TC15s.
By now, you understand the new reality of Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP). It’s a unified, strict framework where waiting for a warning letter is the same as admitting you’re too late.
A reactive approach to VAMP—where you scramble to fix your ratios after you’ve been flagged—is a losing strategy. It leads to stressful remediation plans, costly fines, and a constant state of anxiety.
The only winning strategy is a proactive one.
Staying “ahead” of VAMP means having the data to see a problem emerging weeks or months before it hits a critical threshold. It means stopping fraud at the gate, not just reporting it. It means deflecting disputes before they ever become a chargeback.
This is precisely what Payscout’s VAMP compliance suite is designed to do. Here’s how we help you move from a reactive position to a proactive one.
1. We Give You a Real-Time VAMP Dashboard
You cannot manage what you do not measure. The core of the VAMP problem is a data blindspot. Most merchants only see their total chargeback rate, but VAMP is calculated on two specific metrics: TC40 (fraud reports) and TC15 (non-fraud disputes).
The Payscout Solution:
Our merchant dashboard unifies this data into a single, easy-to-read VAMP Health Monitor. You no longer have to guess or manually combine reports. You can see your VAMP ratio in near real-time, any day of the month.
- See Your Live Ratio: Track your TC40s and TC15s as they happen.
- Identify Trends: Instantly see which metric is driving your ratio. Is it a sudden spike in fraud (TC40s) or a customer service issue (TC15s)?
- Drill Down: Isolate problematic products, campaigns, or regions that are contributing to your risk.
When you can see your data clearly, you can make decisions based on facts, not fear.
2. We Set Predictive Alerts Before You Hit the Limit
The Visa “Excessive Merchant” threshold of 2.2% is the finish line—our goal is to ensure you never even get close to the starting blocks.
The Payscout Solution:
We work with you to set custom Proactive VAMP Alerts inside your merchant dashboard. These are early warning triggers set well below Visa’s official limits.
For example, we can set an alert to notify you if your VAMP ratio exceeds 1.5%. You get an immediate email or dashboard notification. This gives you and our team time to analyze the spike and deploy a strategy—whether it’s tightening fraud rules or pausing a problematic ad campaign—before the month ends and the ratio is reported to Visa.
This turns a potential 3-month crisis into a 1-day management task.
3. We Aggressively Lower Your TC40 (Fraud) Count
Half of the VAMP ratio comes from TC40 fraud reports. The most effective way to stay ahead is to stop fraudulent transactions from ever being approved.
The Payscout Solution:
Our payment gateway is integrated with a multi-layered fraud-prevention stack designed to filter out bad actors while protecting your legitimate customers.
- AI-Powered Fraud Scoring: Analyzes hundreds of data points in milliseconds to score the risk of every transaction.
- 3D Secure 2.0 (3DS2): Implements dynamic, frictionless authentication for high-risk transactions, shifting liability away from you.
- Advanced Velocity Filters: Stops high-speed bot attacks and card testing (enumeration) that can flood your account with fraudulent attempts.
These tools are not just “add-ons”; they are your first line of defense against a high TC40 count, working 24/7 to keep your ratio clean.
4. We Deflect Your TC15 (Dispute) Count
The other half of the VAMP ratio comes from non-fraud disputes. These are often the result of customer confusion, subscription misunderstandings, or shipping delays.
The Payscout Solution:
We help you deflect these disputes before they become a formal TC15 chargeback. Our platform integrates with pre-dispute resolution networks like Verifi (CDRN) and Ethoca and includes automated tools like Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR).
Here’s how it works:
- A cardholder calls their bank to question a charge from you.
- The bank pings the resolution network, which instantly sends an alert to our system.
- Based on rules you set (e.g., “all transactions under $25”), our system can automatically issue a refund to the customer.
- The customer is satisfied, the inquiry is closed, and a TC15 dispute is never created.
This single feature can dramatically lower your dispute ratio, providing an immediate buffer in your VAMP calculation.
Understand the Full VAMP Program
While these tools are essential for managing your ratio, a deep understanding of the program’s rules is just as important. For a complete breakdown of VAMP rules, timelines, and thresholds, we encourage you to read our comprehensive pillar guide:
The Ultimate Guide to Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP): A Complete Breakdown for Merchants
Don’t Wait for the Warning—Get Ahead
Staying ahead of VAMP isn’t about hope; it’s about having the right technology and the right partner. It’s about trading reactive panic for proactive control.
As a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Payscout is built on a foundation of fostering diverse, supportive, and long-term relationships. This identity drives our “White Glove” service model. We don’t just hand you software; we partner with you to build a proactive compliance strategy that protects your business and empowers your growth.
Payscout provides the clarity of a real-time dashboard, the safety of predictive alerts, and the powerful tools to stop fraud and disputes at their source.
Ready to see your VAMP ratio in real-time? Contact a Payscout payments specialist today to schedule a demo of our VAMP Health Monitor and compliance suite.
