Visa is one of the world’s largest payment networks and plays a major role in shaping how merchant risk is defined, monitored, and enforced across the global payments ecosystem. For PSPs, acquirers, ISOs, and PayFacs, Visa stands as both a transaction rail and a compliance authority. Its rules impact how merchants are onboarded, how fraud is measured, and how dispute performance is tracked across a portfolio.
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Visa manages several high impact risk and compliance programs that payment providers must monitor closely. These include:

• Visa Fraud Monitoring Program (VFMP)
  
  
• Visa Chargeback Monitoring Program (VCMP)
  
  
• Visa Global Brand Protection Program (BPP)
  
  
• Merchant screening requirements for high risk MCCs
  
  

These programs help Visa ensure that merchants maintain acceptable fraud and dispute levels. If merchants exceed thresholds, acquirers can face fines, increased oversight, or additional reporting obligations.

For dispute and chargeback rules, Visa publishes guidance here:
https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/visa-rules.html

For PSPs and acquirers, staying aligned with Visa standards is essential for protecting their merchant portfolio and ensuring merchants do not slip into excessive fraud or chargeback programs.
Risk teams rely heavily on strong risk monitoring, automated fraud prevention, and real time transaction monitoring to stay ahead of Visa’s thresholds.

Visa’s expectations have grown more strict as ecommerce fraud evolves, making proactive oversight a core responsibility for any payment provider operating at scale. With the right monitoring and early warning systems in place, acquirers and PayFacs can maintain compliance while protecting revenue and customer trust.

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