In April 2026 Visa cut the merchant Excessive threshold from 2.2% to 1.5% — and the count is event-based, which is exactly why low-ticket recurring portfolios feel it first. Put in your book's volumes and see your position, then what a cleaner descriptor is worth in avoided disputes and support contacts.
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Board every sub-merchant descriptor in bulk from records you already hold. Dual-brand display puts your sub-brand in front of the cardholder.
The ratio is (fraud reports + disputes) ÷ settled transactions, in events. The merchant Excessive threshold shown — 1.5% for US, Canada and EU — took effect April 2026, down from 2.2%. Program thresholds change; verify against current Visa documentation before relying on them.
The ladder reduces disputes (TC15) only, and applies the same percentage to your unrecognized-charge support contacts. Recognition pressure on fraud reports (TC40) is real upside the model leaves out.
Dispute and contact costs are your own inputs. The defaults are placeholders, not benchmarks — the model is only as good as the numbers you put in.
This is an arithmetic model of your own inputs, not a performance guarantee, a forecast, or a compliance determination. Actual program standing depends on Visa's calculations and your full portfolio mix.
Claim the descriptor your customers actually see, control what it says about your business, and decide how they reach you when they have a question about a charge.
Claim, enrich and maintain the record consumers and banks look up. $20 per month, no integration, no processor change.
How it works →Bring the fix to your own book at your own retail, with portfolio tooling and no build cost.
Partner economics →How descriptors are boarded, enriched and recognized — and why the data is declared rather than inferred.
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