Visa VAMP and Mastercard MMP: 2026 Payment Compliance Changes for Adult Merchants
Visa's new VAMP program drops fraud thresholds to 0.9% in January 2026. Mastercard's revised MMP standards took effect January 1. Here's what adult merchants need to know.
Two Major Changes Hit in 2026
Adult content merchants face two simultaneous shifts in payment compliance requirements. Both Visa and Mastercard have tightened their monitoring programs, and enforcement is now active.
Visa VAMP (Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program)
VAMP consolidates five existing Visa fraud and dispute programs into a single acquirer monitoring framework.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | VAMP launches — advisory phase (no penalties) |
| October 1, 2025 | Full enforcement begins |
| January 2026 | Threshold drops to 0.9% |
The "VAMP Ratio" measures fraud plus non-disputed fraud against total card-not-present sales. Adult entertainment merchants, with historically higher chargeback rates, face particular exposure.
VIRP Fee Increases
Visa's Integrity Risk Program (VIRP), which specifically governs high-risk merchants including adult content, also saw fee increases:
- Registration fee: $500 → $950 (effective April 2024)
- Per-transaction fee: $0.10
- Volume-based fee: 0.10% of processed volume
VIRP classifies adult merchants as Tier 1 (highest risk), requiring acquirers to regularly review merchant website content.
Mastercard MMP (Merchant Monitoring Program)
Mastercard's revised Merchant Monitoring Program standards took effect January 1, 2026, replacing the earlier BRAM framework.
Requirements for Adult Content Merchants
- Identity and age verification of all individuals depicted in content (via government-issued ID)
- Written consent from all individuals appearing in adult content
- Pre-screening and review of all content prior to publication
- Ban on deepfake pornography
BRAM Penalties
Fines range from $5,000 to $200,000 per violation. But the real risk isn't the fine — it's what follows:
- Your acquirer gets fined (BRAM penalties hit the bank, not you directly)
- Your acquirer terminates your account to protect themselves
- You get placed on the MATCH/TMF list (Terminated Merchant File)
- MATCH listing is a 5-year processing ban across the entire Mastercard network
- Every acquiring bank checks MATCH before onboarding — you're effectively blacklisted
What to Do Now
- Know your chargeback ratio. If you're above 0.5%, you need a remediation plan before the 0.9% VAMP threshold triggers enforcement.
- Audit your content moderation. Both networks now require pre-publication review. If content goes live before moderation, you're non-compliant.
- Document consent. Mastercard requires written consent from every performer. Make sure you have it — and that it's retrievable.
- Talk to your acquirer. They're the ones who get fined. They may be tightening requirements on their end. Better to know now than to get a termination notice.