Payment Compliance
Reserves, monitoring programmes, and scheme rules can feel arbitrary when you're on the receiving end of them, but they follow specific rules set by Visa and Mastercard that your provider is required to enforce. These guides explain the actual mechanics, so you know what's driving a decision and what levers you have to respond to it.
If you're dealing with a specific document or verification request rather than reserves or scheme monitoring, see our onboarding guides instead.
How Payment Processors Classify Your Business Vertical (and Why It Matters)
Payment processors assign a four-digit MCC code to every merchant that determines your interchange rate, approval odds, and risk scrutiny.
Why Payment Providers Impose Rolling Reserves
Rolling reserves hold back a percentage of your revenue. Learn why providers impose them, how long they last, and how to negotiate their removal.
Scheme Rules: Reserves & Monitoring
Card scheme monitoring programmes can trigger rolling reserves. Learn how Visa and Mastercard monitor merchants and what to do if you're flagged.
Scheme Rules by Payment Method
Different payment methods have different scheme rules. Understand how rules vary for debit, credit, corporate cards, and wallet payments.
Payment Scheme Rules Explained: Visa & Mastercard
Visa and Mastercard scheme rules govern how all card payments work. Understanding these rules explains why providers behave the way they do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who actually sets these rules, the provider or the card schemes?
Card schemes (Visa, Mastercard) set the underlying rules; your payment provider and acquirer are contractually required to enforce them. That's why a rule can feel like 'your provider's decision' when it's actually a scheme requirement being passed down, providers have limited discretion to waive it.
If I'm flagged by a scheme monitoring programme, is that permanent?
No. Monitoring programmes are typically tied to a rolling window of chargeback or fraud ratios. Bringing your ratio back under the threshold for a sustained period generally exits you from the programme, though the exact process varies by scheme and provider.
Does this apply the same way to UK and EU merchants?
Visa and Mastercard scheme rules are largely global, but the compliance and reporting requirements layered on top (SCA, local regulator obligations) differ between the UK and EU. Each article notes where the regional difference matters.