Each card network runs its own program. Mastercard's is the Excessive Chargeback Program (ECP). Visa has consolidated its dispute and fraud monitoring into the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP). The exact thresholds, fees and timelines are set by each network and change over time, so your processor is the source of truth for the numbers that apply to your account.
A network measures your chargebacks against your transactions each month. Cross its threshold and your processor is notified, fees can apply, and you are expected to follow a plan that brings the ratio back down. Staying above it for too long can lead to the account being closed.
Entering a monitoring program is a warning, not necessarily the end. A focused reduction plan across prevention, support, and disputing can bring ratios back under threshold.
Common questions
- What is the Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Program?
- The Excessive Chargeback Program (ECP) is Mastercard's chargeback monitoring program. Merchants whose chargebacks exceed Mastercard's thresholds are placed in it, can face fees, and must bring their chargeback levels back down to exit.
- How do I get out of a chargeback monitoring program?
- Bring your chargeback ratio back under the network's threshold and keep it there. That usually means fixing the root causes of disputes, adding prevention tools such as chargeback alerts, and answering the disputes you can win.
- Can a high-risk merchant keep processing while in a program?
- Usually, yes. Being in a program is a warning with added cost, not an automatic shutdown. Processing continues while you work the ratio down, but staying above the threshold for a long time puts the account at risk.