Q4 is Here. VAMP Is Live. The Risk Game Just Changed.

Welcome to the new frontier of merchant risk management. With Visa’s Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) now officially live, the underwriting, compliance, and dispute mitigation landscape is shifting fast—and merchants, ISOs, and Payfacs who aren’t already adapting may find themselves in hot water come November.

In this episode of the Payments Experts Podcast, Matthew Steinbrecher from Sound Commerce (https://sound-commerce.com/) returns to break down what he's seeing across the portfolios before the hammer drops. We dive deep into:

Tightening CNP underwriting standards

Why ISOs are requiring RDR & Ethoca enrollment upfront

And how siloed dispute data across platforms is killing response times, costing everyone margin

But this isn’t just about hypotheticals. We drop into a real-world Stripe case study that should send a chill through any merchant with recurring revenue:

7 years of clean processing, low chargeback ratios, and yet—suddenly terminated.
Funds frozen. Tokens locked. Access cut.
No refund runway. No warning.

Is VAMP pressure triggering automated purges? Or are platforms increasingly willing to let algorithms decide who survives, regardless of long-term merchant performance?

The Critical Risk Management Questions

Where does the duty of good faith lie when termination is automated?

If tokens aren’t portable and refund access is blocked, is that risk management—or engineered chargebacks?

How can ISOs and merchants regain control when everything from dispute visibility to billing mechanics is split across vendors?

Your Playbook to Stay Ahead

We don’t just raise red flags—we hand you the map:

✅ Monitor TC40s and VAMP metrics in near real-time
✅ Track VAMP ratios MID-by-MID, not portfolio-wide
✅ Negotiate API-level visibility if your ISO owns the RDR/Ethoca integration
✅ Reengineer long-tail service billing to cut refund optics and reduce late chargebacks

And if you're thinking bigger:

💡 We outline when to go full Payfac, how to structure a responsible merchant offboarding (hint: token portability + escrow-backed refund flow), and why modular compliance tooling may be your best defense in 2025.

Who Should Watch?

ISOs building agent programs or managing large CNP portfolios

Merchant acquirers seeing dispute ratios creep upward

SaaS & eComm founders scaling MRR or navigating friendly fraud

Ops & compliance teams hunting for practical wins before policy hits become brand damage

This isn’t theory—it’s what's already happening behind the scenes. Stay proactive. Stay protected.

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

🔗 Subscribe to the Payments Experts Podcast https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/
and leave a review with your biggest VAMP concern—we may tackle it next

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

NMI’s message is clear: you don’t need to lock into a single processor or bank to scale. With modular tools and real-time control over key systems, ISOs, PayFacs, and software platforms can adapt faster, negotiate stronger, and retain full ownership of their merchant relationships.

Whether you're building a payments stack from scratch or optimizing your current setup, this conversation offers concrete strategies for preserving optionality, tightening operations, and future-proofing your tech.

Payments Shouldn’t Feel Like a Marriage You Can’t Leave
Featuring: Rob Hoblit, CRO at NMI (https://www.nmi.com/)
Hosts: James Huber (Managing Partner) and Jeremy Stock (Podcast Producer)
📍 Presented by Global Legal Law Firm

In this episode:
We sit down with Rob Hoblit, Chief Revenue Officer of NMI, to explore how payments infrastructure can stay flexible, modular, and future-ready—without locking you into a single processor or bank. Whether you're an ISO, PayFac, or software platform, this conversation covers what it takes to stay in control of your merchant relationships while building toward scale and valuation.

🔥 Topics Covered:

NMI’s evolution from gateway to full-stack modular platform

Tools like Merchant Central, ScanX, and network tokenization

Transparency in residuals, reporting, and onboarding

ISO strategy for 500+ MIDs vs. vertical SaaS exits

Why modular architecture = optionality, higher valuation, lower risk

💡 Who Should Watch:

ISOs and agents building long-term book value

SaaS leaders looking to monetize payments without replatforming

Processors and PayFacs aiming to offer a stickier, flexible solution

Fintech developers needing smarter merchant onboarding and oversight

📊 Takeaway:
Optionality isn’t just nice to have—it’s the strategy.
Start with flexibility. Grow with transparency. Scale with control.

👉 Subscribe for more expert-led conversations on payments, fintech law, and merchant processing.

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

Visit: https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts/

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm

The rules of payments are changing—often mid-transaction. Are you ready?

In this episode number 68 of The Payments Experts Podcast, we break down the silent killers of merchant profitability: compliance gaps, outdated integrations, and poorly configured gateway flows. Managing partner of Global Legal Law Firm, James Huber, is joined by NMI (https://www.nmi.com/) Chief Revenue Officer, Rob Hoblit, to discuss how payments professionals can future-proof their merchant portfolios in an ever-evolving regulatory and card brand environment.

We cover:

The hidden costs of “set it and forget it” payment stacks

Why Level 2 and Level 3 data optimizations are underutilized (and how to fix that)

The realities of surcharging, dual pricing, and state-by-state compliance

How interoperability—not vendor lock-in—is your best defense against constant rule changes

What it actually takes to maintain high authorization rates while reducing chargebacks and support friction

If you’re an ISO, agent, processor, or fintech pro trying to reduce risk, improve interchange qualification, and stay ahead of card brand changes, this conversation is your playbook.

Listen to the full episode and explore more insights at
https://www.globallegallawfirm.com/podcasts

Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring actionable guidance for navigating high-risk merchant services, surcharging regulations, and the future of payments infrastructure.

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

A payments podcast of Global Legal Law Firm