Recurring revenue is the holy grail for digital businesses — stable, predictable, and scalable. But for merchants relying on card payments, especially Visa, a major challenge is looming larger every day: Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP).
Originally designed to reduce fraud and maintain the integrity of the Visa network, VAMP has now become a major obstacle for legitimate recurring businesses, particularly those in “gray” or high-risk verticals. Understanding the problem — and having the right solution — is essential for sustainability.
📉 What is Visa VAMP?
The Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) is a compliance framework used by Visa to identify acquirers whose merchants generate high levels of:
- Chargebacks
- Fraud
- Authorization declines
- Regulatory scrutiny
Acquirers flagged under VAMP are pressured to de-risk their portfolios, which typically results in:
- Merchants being terminated or blocked
- Payment holds or rolling reserves
- Increased fees and stricter onboarding
- Full-blown offboarding of verticals (e.g., adult, gaming, supplements, crypto education, trial-to-subscription models)
Even legitimate businesses with healthy operations can get caught in the dragnet — simply due to their vertical, business model, or volume anomalies.
🔁 Why Recurring Businesses Are Hit the Hardest
Recurring business models — like subscriptions, memberships, and SaaS — have some natural friction with card schemes:
- ❌ Failed payments due to expired cards
- ❌ Higher-than-average chargeback rates (even for satisfied customers)
- ❌ Vulnerability to “friendly fraud”
- ❌ Free trial to subscription transitions often misunderstood by consumers
Add vertical-based risks (e.g. adult, gaming, forex, coaching, nootropic supplements), and you’re almost guaranteed to fall under extra scrutiny.
Even if you’re running a clean, compliant business — you can still be flagged under VAMP simply for being in the “wrong” industry.
💡 The Need for an Alternative: SEPA Account-to-Account (A2A)
Unlike card payments, SEPA payments are:
- 💶 Bank-to-bank transfers with no card schemes involved
- ✅ Irrevocable — no chargebacks
- 📊 Rich in reference data for automatic reconciliation
- 🔒 More secure and lower risk
They’re perfect for recurring businesses who:
- Want to reduce dependency on cards
- Need to limit exposure to Visa/MC compliance actions
- Serve European customers
- Operate in sensitive sectors
🚀 Enter Yowpay: The Smart SEPA Tunnel
Yowpay is one of the few providers offering a complete SEPA payment tunnel tailored for recurring and high-risk businesses:
🧩 3 SEPA Payment Methods in One:
- PIS (Open Banking) – fast and secure
- Manual SEPA – traditional but still widely used
- EPC QR Code – mobile-friendly and frictionless
🔄 Smart Features for Recurring Businesses:
- Auto-generated smart payment links with unique references
- Real-time payment tracking
- Automated reconciliation and payment matching
- API-based subscription logic and billing triggers
🔐 Why Yowpay Matters
By integrating Yowpay into your checkout and billing flows, you gain:
✅ Freedom from Visa VAMP and card scheme risk
✅ Improved authorization rates and reduced friction
✅ Chargeback-free and cost-efficient processing
✅ Better alignment with EU compliance and PSD2 standards
✅ Peace of mind for finance and risk teams
🔚 Final Thought: Recurring Revenue Shouldn’t Come with Recurring Risk
Card schemes are increasingly hostile to business models that don’t fit their narrow risk profile. While Visa VAMP was designed to fight fraud, its net often catches honest recurring businesses in the crossfire.
If your business depends on continuity, it’s time to explore continuity in payments too.
SEPA A2A with Yowpay offers control, compliance, and conversion — without relying on fragile card rails.