- Short answer
- Yes, an extended stay in Visa's VAMP might restrict your use of Shopify Payments; the Shopify pages we read don't say how.
- What "restricted" means
- Not defined on the Shopify pages we read on October 9, 2026; nor is "extended period".
- What counts
- Disputes, chargebacks and inquiries included, plus fraud reports, even on refunded transactions; Point of Sale excluded.
- Visa's merchant line
- 150 bps since April 1, 2026 (Asia Pacific, Canada, EU, US), if the acquirer isn't Above Standard or Excessive.
- Way out
- Released once the metric falls below the threshold; Visa recalculates monthly from the previous month's data.
What does Shopify say VAMP enrollment can do?
VAMP (the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program) enrolls accounts when Visa classifies them as Excessive — the Excessive columns in the table below — or when they reach the enumeration thresholds described after it, and you're notified once you're enrolled. The consequence, in Shopify's words:
If you have an extended period of enrollment in VAMP, then your use of Shopify Payments might be restricted.
The Shopify pages we read on October 9, 2026 (monitoring programs, chargeback monitoring, acceptable business practices, reserves) define neither "restricted" nor "extended period", and none ties VAMP to a reserve or payout hold.
How does VAMP measure your store, and where is the line?
Your VAMP count is every dispute (chargebacks and inquiries included) plus every fraud report, even on refunded transactions; Point of Sale transactions are excluded. The VAMP ratio divides that count by all captured payments, and Visa recalculates it monthly from the previous month's data.
VAMP thresholds on Shopify's help page (enrollment: Excessive)
| Criterion | Non-compliant | Excessive: Central Europe, Middle East, Africa | Excessive: elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAMP count | 5 | 150 | 1,500 |
| VAMP ratio | 0.5% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| VAMP volume | N/A | $75,000 USD | N/A |
Read October 9, 2026. Shopify's page doesn't explain what the Non-compliant column means.
Visa's matching merchant line, 150 bps (1.5%) in Asia Pacific, Canada, the EU and the US since April 1, 2026, down from 220, with a monthly minimum of 1,500 fraud and disputes, applies when the acquirer itself isn't Above Standard or Excessive, a condition Shopify's table leaves out.
The other route is enumeration, a fraudster cycling card values until one combination works: Visa monitors a store reaching both 300,000 enumerated transactions and a 20% enumeration ratio, and assesses no fines for it.
How does a store get out of VAMP?
VAMP releases the account once the metric falls below the threshold. Each dispute or fraud report counts in the month the network receives it, regardless of when the payment was processed, so a dispute filed now on an older order still lands in this month's count. To lower disputes and fraud reports, start with chargeback prevention.
This page was written by AI. Separate AI agents that did not write it check its figures and claims against official sources and test its links and interactive tools. A human editor sets the site's editorial direction, topics and rules and checks that pages are complete and display correctly, but does not check their facts or edit their text. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
Editorial Policy