VMSS removal / Adyen
VMSS removal through Adyen
If Adyen terminated your merchant account and added you to the Visa Merchant Screening Service (VMSS), Adyen is the only party that can submit a removal request to Visa. This guide explains what Adyen's risk team expects, how to structure a request, and what the process looks like.
Why Adyen adds merchants to the VMSS list
Adyen is a direct Visa acquirer that predominantly serves large enterprise merchants. Its risk scoring is sophisticated, and it monitors merchant performance continuously against Visa's programme thresholds. Common reasons Adyen submits VMSS listings include:
- Excessive fraud — fraud-to-sales ratios crossing Visa's thresholds, often identified through Adyen's risk monitoring layer (VMSS code 21).
- Excessive disputes — dispute ratios and volumes exceeding Visa's programme limits (VMSS code 22).
- Illegal transactions — processing payments for unlawful goods or services (VMSS code 24).
- Violation of Visa rules — breaches of Visa's core operating regulations or Adyen's processing agreement (VMSS code 31).
Your Adyen account closure documentation will typically state the reason category. For full VMSS code definitions, see our VMSS reason codes page.
What Adyen's risk team looks for
Adyen's internal compliance and risk review process is formal and thorough. Given the enterprise client base Adyen serves, their risk team has high standards for removal requests. A credible submission needs to demonstrate:
- Root cause — a specific, honest account of what caused the VMSS listing. Adyen risk reviewers are experienced; generic or evasive explanations will not advance a case.
- Corrective actions — documented evidence that you changed processes, controls, products, or compliance structures since the termination. Intent is not sufficient — changes must be implemented and demonstrable.
- Evidence — supporting documentation appropriate to the reason code: updated compliance policies, PCI DSS certification, improved dispute data, or restructured product lines.
- No recurrence — a credible, operational argument for why the root cause cannot repeat under current business structure.
Only Adyen, as the acquirer that listed you, can submit a removal request to Visa. The submission must go to Adyen's compliance or risk department in a structured written format.
How to submit a VMSS removal request to Adyen
The process is:
- Confirm that Adyen was the acquirer that terminated your account and submitted the VMSS listing.
- Identify the VMSS reason code from your account closure notice or Adyen correspondence.
- Prepare a structured, written removal request covering root cause, corrective actions, and evidence.
- Submit the request formally to Adyen's compliance or risk department — this should be a written document, not an informal support ticket.
- Follow up through appropriate channels if you do not receive a substantive response within the expected timeframe.
We help you build and submit that request. Our questionnaire extracts the relevant facts, and we draft a professionally structured letter suited to Adyen's formal review process. Start your removal request.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Adyen remove me from the VMSS list?
- Yes — if Adyen submitted the listing, only Adyen can request removal from Visa. Visa does not remove VMSS listings on direct merchant request.
- What does Adyen need to review a VMSS removal request?
- A specific root cause explanation, documented corrective actions, supporting evidence, and a credible case that the issue is structurally resolved. Requests should be formal, written submissions addressed to Adyen's risk or compliance team.
- How long does Adyen take to review?
- Adyen's formal review process tends to be slower than smaller PSPs — expect several weeks to a few months. A thorough, well-documented request helps move through their internal review more efficiently.