The VAMP Era Is Here: What Payments Pros Must Know Before It’s Too Late

Think MATCH was hard to navigate? VAMP just rewrote the risk rulebook.
In this high-impact episode, Christopher Dryden, Esq., and COO, Jeremy Stock, sit down with Matt Steinbrecher of Sound Commerce (https://sound-commerce.com/) to unpack the hidden compliance traps now emerging in merchant processing. Whether you’re an ISO onboarding merchants, a payfac dealing with CNP risk, or an investor evaluating portfolios—this episode is your early warning system.

🔍 Inside the Episode:
🚨 VAMP Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It’s Reshaping Risk Allocation

Card-not-present merchants are under a microscope. With fines expected in Q4, underwriting guidelines are tightening fast.

More ISOs are mandating RDR/Ethoca enrollment upfront. But does it help—or just shift risk silently?

🔒 The Visibility Problem: Enforcement Actions You’ll Never See

You can’t mitigate what you can’t see. We reveal how current KYC/KYB protocols fail to flag prior brand enforcement—leaving acquirers exposed to massive liability.

TC40s, dispute ratios, and fraud patterns—why they matter now more than ever.

⚠️ Case Study: The Stripe Termination No One Saw Coming

A merchant with 7 years of clean history, solid revenue, and low chargebacks was dropped without warning.

Funds frozen, tokens locked, back office access revoked. Could VAMP-related algorithms be driving silent purges?

💸 M&A Fallout: How Hidden Risk Distorts Portfolio Value

We explore how prior brand violations can kill a deal, increase reserves, and skew acquisition pricing.

For buyers and sellers alike, compliance due diligence is now mission-critical.

🧠 What Smart Acquirers and ISOs Should Do Next

Don’t wait for a fine to learn you’re out of compliance. We break down:

Monitoring VAMP ratios and TC40s per MID

Demanding API-level RDR visibility

Building attestation forms for boarding

Negotiating token migration rights and refund runways

Creating responsible offboarding flows (escrow-backed refunds, sunset terms, and portability)

🧩 Why This Episode Matters:

VAMP is not just compliance—it’s market structure. As enforcement rises, smaller high-risk shops may vanish, while those who plan ahead will own the next era of acquiring. Whether you’re working in underwriting, ops, portfolio acquisition, or product strategy, this episode is a blueprint for navigating what’s next.

Ever tried to board a merchant and wondered what you can’t see? We pull back the curtain on the blind spots that matter most: prior card‑brand violations, second‑strike liabilities, and how surcharging and dual pricing mistakes can snowball into five‑figure fines you never saw coming. With Matt Steinbrecher of Sound Commerce, we explore what VAMP could mean for acquirers, ISOs, and POS providers—and why today’s KYC/KYB isn’t built to surface nonpublic enforcement history.

**Matters discussed are all opinions and do not constitute legal advice. All events or likeness to real people and events is a coincidence.**

👉 Global Legal Law Firm Podcast Hub: https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/

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A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm