Subscription playbook: VAMP remediation guide

• Understand and monitor VAMP metrics
• Prevent fraud
  with strong measures
• Improve customer communication and transparency
• Optimize billing practices
• Simplify cancellation processes
• Review and adjust risk strategies

Intro

• Friendly fraud dominates disputes
  Up to 75% of chargebacks stem from legitimate customers disputing valid charges (forgotten subscriptions, “I didn’t recognize the charge,” etc.). Your best defense is proactive customer communication and frictionless cancellation – not after-the-fact firefighting.
• Visa is cracking down hard
  Starting June 2025, merchants exceeding a 2.2% VAMP Ratio or 20% card-testing fraud rate face immediate monitoring and fines. This threshold tightens to 1.5% in April 2026 – there’s no room for complacency.
• Think of
  chargeback prevention
  as a product feature
  Optimize your billing descriptors, checkout disclosure, emails, and cancellation UX just like you optimize conversion. Make it obvious and easy for customers to understand what they’re buying and how to cancel. This trade-off may slightly reduce initial revenue but massively cuts “friendly” chargebacks that could kill your business.
• Use every tool to preempt disputes and enroll in all Solidgate chargeback prevention solutions
  Use Visa Order Insight to share transaction details with banks in real-time. Enable Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) to auto-refund disputes before they become chargebacks. Leverage alerts (Verifi, Ethoca) to intercept incoming disputes and Compelling Evidence 3.0 to overturn fraud notifications. Utilize Solidgate Antifraud to detect and block fraudulent transactions proactively.
• Police high-risk transactions and sources
  In high-volume environments, one risky affiliate or geo can flood you with fraud. Implement stringent fraud screening, 3-D Secure, velocity checks, and consider blocking or extra verifying high-risk regions (e.g. certain LATAM, Africa, South Asia markets prone to fraud). It’s better to turn away bad transactions than suffer a wave of chargebacks.

VAMP metrics and thresholds

• Disputes (TC15) resolved through pre-dispute products
• Fraud (TC40) qualified for Compelling Evidence 3.0 (
  CE 3.0
  )

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA

• Merchant Excessive Identification level applies only if Acquirer VAMP Ratio <50bps.
• CEMEA region merchant excessive only: minimum of 150 combined Fraud (TC40) and Disputes (TC15) and >=75,000 USD dispute and TC40 amount.
• Min of 300,000 count of enumerated authorization transactions per descriptor identified via Visa Account Attack Intelligence (VAAI) model.

Reducing friendly fraud in subscriptions

Optimize your billing descriptor

• Best practice: Use a clear, descriptive billing descriptor that includes your brand or product name (preferably your website name) and a way to contact you if space allows (a phone number or short URL). Visa allows up to 22 characters for the statement descriptor, so use them wisely.
• Real-world example: Instead of a generic descriptor like PAYMENT*SG12345, use something like: WorkoutPlan 8005551234.

Implementation tips

• Ask your payment provider (Solidgate) if you can set a custom DBA/descriptor name. Ensure it closely matches your website or product name.
• If your gateway/acquirer supports dynamic descriptors, customize them per product or subscription plan (e.g., include the plan name).
• Add a support phone number if you have the characters; many issuers display it, giving customers an easy way to call you instead of their bank.
• Test what your descriptor looks like on a card statement: do a charge on your own card and check your online bank. Make sure it’s immediately clear it’s your company.

Checklist: Billing descriptor

• Descriptor includes recognizable business or product name (not a generic LLC or processor name).
• Descriptor includes contact info (URL or phone) if possible.
• Tested the descriptor visibility on actual statements (mobile app and web).
• Consistency: Website footer, invoices, and emails mention the same name as the descriptor to
  reinforce recognition.
• The descriptor remains recognizable for all charges in a subscription sequence.

Scrutinize high-risk geographies and traffic sources

High-risk countries

This doesn’t mean block everyone from these places, but you might: 

• Require
  3-D Secure
  or additional verification for orders from these regions. Lower velocity thresholds (e.g. max 2 attempts from these countries).
• If the risk/reward doesn’t pan out, consider geo blocking certain countries entirely, at least for card payments. You could alternatively offer safer payment methods there (like cash on delivery or local wallets) if relevant, or just avoid markets where you see nothing but fraud.
• If you have the capability, route transactions through local acquiring in the region. Sometimes, a transaction coming from a local bank appears less suspicious than an international charge, leading to fewer false declines and possibly fewer fraud attempts. Local processing can also improve your acceptance rates, which reduces the pool of suspicious repeated attempts.

Affiliate and marketing source monitoring

Monitoring tools

Implementation tips

• Maintain a “high-risk geography” list and update it based on industry reports and your own data. You can start with the list provided above and refine it.
• Configure your antifraud rules by region.

  Solidgate Antifraud

  lets you apply different rules for different countries (e.g., auto-decline all transactions from a country you don’t serve, or require manual review for first orders from a high-risk region).
• Communicate with your acquiring bank/processor about country risk. They might have data on where other merchants see issues or even be able to block known fraud hotspots at the network level.
• Log and review referral fraud: if you find multiple fraudulent orders coming from the same referrer or marketing channel, cut it off quickly. It could be a rogue affiliate or a compromised ad placement.

Set crystal-clear expectations at checkout

Implementation tips

• Display pricing and renewal terms prominently
  Do not hide it in fine print. Use bold text or a summary section in the order summary.
• For trials, use a checkbox or an initial next to the terms, as some card networks require explicit cardholder consent for recurring charges after a trial. (Visa and Mastercard have compliance rules mandating this for free trials – make sure you meet them.)
• Clear total price 
  Make sure the total price and currency are clear for the first charge and subsequent charges. Avoid misleading phrases like “Just $1” if that is only a trial fee and the user will owe more later. Always clarify what happens after the “$1”.
• Summarize terms
  If you have a terms of service document, summarize the critical billing info in a quick blurb at checkout. Don’t rely on “they could have clicked our T&Cs” – surface the key points.
• Save user agreement 
  Save a record of the user’s agreement to the terms (e.g., store the checkbox timestamp, IP, etc.). It could become compelling evidence if they dispute the charge.

Checklist: Checkout disclosure

• All charges (trial and recurring) are clearly described at sign up.
• Users must actively consent to
  recurring billing
  terms (checkbox or similar).
• No misleading or hidden fees – pricing is transparent and in plain language.
• Terms of service and refund/cancellation policy are easily accessible via link.

Send prompt email receipts and reminders

Transaction receipts

Upcoming charge reminders

Customers might use these reminders to cancel – and that’s okay. It’s far better to lose a renewal than to have a surprised, angry customer who files a dispute. In fact, these practices build trust and goodwill, increasing the chance they come back later.

Implementation tips

• Automate receipt emails via your billing system or payment processor’s webhooks. Every successful charge triggers an email template with the relevant info.
• Keep email subject lines clear (“Receipt” or “Upcoming Charge”) + your company name + descriptor. This way, if they search their inbox later, they find your communications about the charge instead of assuming fraud.
• For trial reminders, set up a scheduled job or use your CRM to trigger at the appropriate interval. Ensure it only goes to active subscribers who haven’t canceled yet.
• Include the descriptor of the transaction in the email body.
• Include cancellation instructions or direct links in these emails. The easier you make it for them to cancel at this stage, the lower the chance they’ll go to the bank later. Additionally, always provide easily accessible support contact information.
• For trial reminders, also consider sending a text message reminder, especially for trials. Some users pay less attention to email. (But email is the minimum requirement to meet card scheme rules.

Checklist: Communication

• Receipt email sent immediately for every charge (trial signup, recurring billing, etc.).
• Receipt email contains the amount, period, what it’s for, cancellation instructions, and how to contact support.
• For trials, an end of trial reminder email is scheduled.
• For long-term subscriptions, renewal reminder emails are scheduled.
• All customer-facing messages reinforce the same descriptor name and support contact info.

Make cancellation painless and instant

• Easy to find. The path to cancel shouldn’t require a scavenger hunt. A logical place is the user account page or a “Manage Subscription” menu. At minimum, provide a clear link in the footer or help center labeled "Cancel Subscription" that guides them.
• No forced contact. The user should not have to call or email you to cancel. That introduces delays and frustration. Provide a self-service flow. (It’s okay to offer help or alternatives, but don’t make it mandatory to talk to someone.)
• Confirmation step. When they click cancel, you can ask “Are you sure?” or present a quick offer (like “Switch to a cheaper plan instead?”) – but always include a clear final “Cancel now” button. Do not trap the user in endless questions.
• Immediate confirmation. Once canceled, show a confirmation on-screen and send a confirmation email right away. The email should document the cancellation date and whether they’ll receive any refund or keep access until period end. This email is their proof that they canceled – preventing “I thought I canceled but still got billed” situations.

Implementation tips

• Implement a self-service cancellation page within the app / on the website if you don’t have one.
• If you require login and many customers never created credentials (common if you only took an email at purchase), consider a one-click cancel link in emails that auto-authenticates the user. Or have a quick “retrieve my subscription” using email verification. The key is to remove barriers.
• Cancel the subscription immediately upon receiving a request from the user through support.
• Keep the flow short. Any extra steps you add (surveys, offers, etc.) should be skippable. A frustrated user will abandon and go to their bank – exactly what we want to avoid.
• Monitor the cancellation process periodically yourself. Pretend to be a customer and try to cancel. If anything is confusing or broken, fix it immediately.
• Track reasons for cancellation (if you ask). If many say “didn’t know I would be charged” or “hard to use service,” that’s feedback to further improve your upfront communication or product.

Checklist: Cancellation UX

• Customers can cancel online without contacting support.
• The cancel option is easy to find on the website/app.
• Cancellation is effective immediately or at period end with no further billing.
• Confirmation email is sent for every cancellation, documenting the outcome.
• Trial users can cancel during trial just as easily, and won’t be charged if they do.

Deliver what you promised (and more)

• No misleading claims. Review your marketing copy, especially if you use affiliate marketers. Ensure you’re not accidentally (or intentionally) allowing false promises that set users up for disappointment. For example, if you sell a digital coaching service, don’t let affiliates advertise it as a “magic cure in 7 days” if it’s not. Misled customers often call the bank out of frustration.
• Transparent product info. On your site, clearly describe what the user gets, the billing frequency, and how to cancel (reiterating what was told in checkout). If your service is digital, mention things like “This is a subscription product. You can cancel anytime on our website or by contacting support.”
• Fair pricing for each region. If you serve multiple countries, consider localized pricing. Sometimes chargebacks happen because users in certain regions felt the price was exorbitant relative to local incomes or found out they were charged extra foreign transaction fees. Offering prices in local currency or at fair levels can reduce that grievance-based disputes.
• Consistent communication. Make sure the language of your product/service matches the language used in the signup funnel. If your ads and checkout were in Spanish, but your product is only in English, the user could feel deceived. Align content and language to the customer’s expectations set at purchase.

Implementation tips

• Go through your customer journey from ad/landing page to first use. Identify any potential “surprises” a user could encounter (e.g., additional fees, different product than imagined) and eliminate them with better info upfront.
• Set up a system to send a welcome email or onboarding guide right after purchase, highlighting how to use the service. This gets them engaged (and engagement is the enemy of friendly fraud – if they use it, they’re less likely to claim it was bad or unknown).
• If you run a trial model, ensure the trial and onboarding experience is good. A user who had a poor trial experience will chargeback the first payment, saying “I cancelled” or “product not as expected.” So, for example, send usage tips during the trial and remind them of the upcoming charge so they either start using it or cancel in time.
• Continuously collect feedback (via surveys, support interactions, etc.). If multiple customers dispute after the first month, citing “did not understand it was subscription” or “service not useful,” that’s a sign to improve communication or the service itself.

Checklist: Product & Marketing

• Establish fair and reasonable product pricing, adjusting it to users' geographic locations.
• Marketing claims align with actual product capabilities.
• All product details (features, billing frequency, trial conditions) are clearly stated on the site. Welcome/activation emails or materials are sent immediately at purchase.
• The product/service is accessible or delivered promptly post purchase.
• Offer and product language is consistent (no bait and switch in language or terms).
• Regularly review customer feedback and dispute reasons to spot promise performance gaps.

Provide responsive customer support
 (1-hour aim)

Implementation tips

1. Clearly list your contact information on your website (footer, Contact Us page, support page). Include an email address and/or support ticket form, and any available phone number or chat. The key is that a frustrated customer can quickly find a way to talk to you.
2. If possible, include support contact info on the card statement descriptor as mentioned and in transaction emails.
3. Staff your support adequately. High-risk, high-volume businesses should have support on weekends too, because disputes happen 24/7. If you can’t do 24/7 live support, at least ensure no request sits unanswered more than a day.
4. Provide support reps with guidelines to proactively offer refunds or solutions for angry customers. Empower them to resolve issues on first contact. For example, if someone says “I didn’t mean to subscribe, please cancel and refund,” your support should be allowed to refund that last charge immediately (assuming it’s small) rather than dragging it out. Eating a small refund is far better than a chargeback plus fine.
5. Track support tickets related to billing. If you notice common themes (“I want a refund, I didn’t know about this charge”), use that insight to improve your checkout and communications to prevent repeats.
6. Use AI to enhance your support experience and increase SLA.

• Mailing address (for correspondence).
• Customer support number OR customer support email.
• The above information may be displayed in the website footer or on a сontacts page.

Checklist: Support 

• Support contact (email/phone/chat) is easy to find on the site and in emails.
• Support team or process in place to handle inquiries within 24 hours or less.
• Use AI to increase SLA.
• Policy in place to generously refund unhappy customers to avoid escalations.
• Support scripts or training cover how to de-escalate and resolve billing complaints.
• Contact info or help link is included in customer communications and possibly billing descriptor.

Leverage network products and Solidgate chargeback prevention

• Visa Order Insight (OI)
  This service allows you to share detailed order info with issuing banks in real time when a customer queries a transaction. Essentially, if a cardholder calls their bank and says “What is this charge?” the bank, via Order Insight, can pull data you provide (e.g. product description, customer name, date of signup, product, IP address, etc.) and show it to the cardholder or bank agent. This often resolves confusion on the spot – the customer goes “Oh yes, that’s my subscription to X.” Result: no dispute filed.
  Action: Work with Solidgate to enroll in Order Insight. It’s especially effective for reducing friendly fraud where the primary issue is recognition.
• Visa Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR) 
  RDR is an automated dispute resolution service that can instantly resolve disputes based on predefined rules. For example, you can set a rule that any dispute under reason “Product not received” or under $2550 is automatically refunded via RDR, preventing a chargeback from being officially filed. The benefit is that these resolved disputes don’t count as chargebacks in Visa’s system (at least for non-fraud reasons), and you avoid the chargeback fee.
  Action: If you experience certain dispute types frequently and you’re willing to refund them, enroll in RDR through Solidgate and configure rules.
• Alert Systems (Verifi CDRN & Ethoca)
  These are services where issuers send an alert to you when a customer is about to dispute. You typically have 24 hours to respond and resolve (usually by refunding) before it becomes a chargeback. Verifi’s system is CDRN (Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network) and Ethoca is a Mastercard-owned network – both achieve similar ends. 
  Action: Enable to an alert service with Solidgate. When you receive an alert, have a process to immediately issue a refund or respond with proof if you believe it’s a misunderstanding.
• Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE 3.0)
  This is Visa’s updated framework (from April 2023) for preventing fraud chargebacks with detailed evidence. Under CE3.0, merchants can shift liability back to the issuer by demonstrating a history of legitimate transactions with the cardholder. Specifically, they must present evidence of two prior, undisputed transactions with the same payment credential, each occurring between 120 and 365 days before the disputed transaction. These prior transactions must share at least two of the following data elements with the disputed transaction: user ID, IP address, shipping address, or device ID/fingerprint, with at least one match being either the IP address or device ID/fingerprint. By meeting these criteria, merchants can effectively reduce losses from invalid fraud claims. 
  Action: Enable Compelling Evidence 3.0. service with Solidgate.

Checklist: Network tools 

• Enroll Visa Order Insight and CE 3.0
• Use Rapid Dispute Resolution Utilize CDRN

Reducing true fraud in subscriptions

Deploy robust fraud screening
 and 3-D Secure

• Fraud rules/filters 
  Set up rules to catch common fraud patterns – e.g., multiple transactions in a short time from the same card or IP, mismatch of IP country vs billing address, orders using temporary/disposable emails, etc. Solidgate Antifraud engine also allows custom rule sets. For instance, block transactions if >3 cards are attempted from the same IP in 5 minutes (this could indicate card testing bots). 
• Machine learning/Scoring 
  Utilize a fraud scoring system that scores each transaction’s risk. If your processor (like Solidgate or others) offers an integrated fraud scoring solution, enable it. Use the score to auto-decline or review high-risk transactions. 
• 3-D Secure (Verified by Visa/Mastercard SecureCode) 
  Especially for international transactions or first-time purchases, 3DS can shift liability of fraud chargebacks away from you (to the issuer) and deter fraudsters (since they have to pass an OTP challenge). While 3DS can add friction, in truly high-risk scenarios (certain geos or expensive subscription tiers), it’s worth it. Configure your system to trigger 3DS on transactions that meet certain risk conditions (e.g., high value or high-risk country). 
• Advanced Device & IP Analysis 
  Ensure you re making the most of the antifraud system offered by your payment processor. Solidgate s Antifraud engine leverages advanced tools to gather detailed parameters from devices and IPs, such as device fingerprinting and proxy/VPN detection. By utilizing all the antifraud services available, you can effectively catch repeat fraud attempts from the same device, identify anomalies (like suddenly changing device IDs), and flag suspicious activities, such as mismatched geolocation and billing information.

Implementation tips

• If you’re on a platform like Solidgate, talk to us about enabling their built-in anti-fraud solution and what thresholds to set. E.g., Solidgate’s system might automatically block certain high-risk patterns; ensure you configure it to suit your business (balance between false positives and catching bad actors).
• Regularly review fraud reports (TC40 data or chargebacks) to see what slipped through. Adjust your rules accordingly. For example, if you got hit by several fraud chargebacks from Jamaican cards, you might add 3DS for Jamaica or temporarily block particular BINs.
• Use a layered approach: basic validation (CVV, AVS if applicable), then risk scoring, then selective 3DS. This keeps friction low for good customers but escalates checks for risky ones.

Checklist: Fraud tools 

• Fraud rules configured (velocity checks, IP geolocation, email/domain checks, etc.).
• Fraud scoring or manual review process in place for high-risk transactions.
• 3-D Secure enabled for high-risk or new transactions (with configurable rules).
• Device or browser fingerprinting used to identify fraud patterns.
• Regularly update block/allow lists (e.g., blacklist known fraud IPs or stolen card BINs, whitelist repeat good customers).

Guard against card testing
(enumeration attacks)

Signs of card testing 

• A surge in declined transactions with certain decline codes (like invalid card or incorrect CVV).
• Many small $0 or $1 attempts from different cards in a short span.
• Unusual patterns like sequential card numbers or the same IP doing hundreds of attempts.

Prevention tactics

Implementation checklist:
 Reducing VAMP exposure

Billing descriptor

• Descriptor includes recognizable business or product name (not a generic LLC or processor name).
• Descriptor includes contact info (URL or phone) if possible.
• Tested the descriptor visibility on actual statements (mobile app and web).
• Consistency: Website footer, invoices, and emails mention the same name as the descriptor to
  reinforce recognition.
• The descriptor remains recognizable for all charges in a subscription sequence.

Checkout disclosure

• All charges (trial and recurring) are clearly described at sign up.
• Users must actively consent to recurring billing terms (checkbox or similar).
• No misleading or hidden fees – pricing is transparent and in plain language.
• Terms of service and refund/cancellation policy are easily accessible via link.

Communication

• Receipt email sent immediately for every charge (trial signup, recurring billing, etc.).
• Receipt email contains the amount, period, what it’s for, cancellation instructions, and how to contact support.
• For trials, an end of trial reminder email is scheduled.
• For long-term subscriptions, renewal reminder emails are scheduled.
• All customer-facing messages reinforce the same descriptor name and support contact info.

Cancellation UX

• Customers can cancel online without contacting support.
• The cancel option is easy to find on the website/app.
• Cancellation is effective immediately or at period end with no further billing.
• Confirmation email is sent for every cancellation, documenting the outcome.
• Trial users can cancel during trial just as easily, and won’t be charged if they do.

Product & Marketing

• Establish fair and reasonable product pricing, adjusting it to users' geographic locations.
• Marketing claims align with actual product capabilities.
• All product details (features, billing frequency, trial conditions) are clearly stated on the site. Welcome/activation emails or materials are sent immediately at purchase.
• The product/service is accessible or delivered promptly post purchase.
• Offer and product language is consistent (no bait and switch in language or terms).
• Regularly review customer feedback and dispute reasons to spot promise performance gaps.

Support 

• Support contact (email/phone/chat) is easy to find on the site and in emails.
• Support team or process in place to handle inquiries within 24 hours or less.
• Use AI to increase SLA.
• Policy in place to generously refund unhappy customers to avoid escalations.
• Support scripts or training cover how to de-escalate and resolve billing complaints.
• Contact info or help link is included in customer communications and possibly billing descriptor.

Network tools 

• Enroll Visa Order Insight and CE 3.0
• Use Rapid Dispute Resolution Utilize CDRN

Fraud tools 

• Fraud rules configured (velocity checks, IP geolocation, email/domain checks, etc.).
• Fraud scoring or manual review process in place for high-risk transactions.
• 3-D Secure enabled for high-risk or new transactions (with configurable rules).
• Device or browser fingerprinting used to identify fraud patterns.
• Regularly update block/allow lists (e.g., blacklist known fraud IPs or stolen card BINs, whitelist repeat good customers).

Conclusion:
Stay vigilant and iterate