VMSS removal / FIS
VMSS removal through FIS
If FIS (Fidelity National Information Services) terminated your merchant account and added you to the Visa Merchant Screening Service (VMSS), FIS is the only party that can submit a removal request to Visa. As a major US financial infrastructure company, FIS operates a formal, institution-level risk review process. This guide explains what their risk team expects and how to approach a removal request.
Why FIS adds merchants to the VMSS list
FIS is one of the largest financial technology companies in the world, providing payment processing and acquiring services across the US and internationally. Through its acquiring operations, FIS holds direct Visa relationships and is subject to mandatory VMSS reporting requirements. Common reasons FIS submits VMSS listings include:
- Excessive fraud — fraud-to-sales ratios crossing Visa's programme thresholds, detected through FIS's merchant monitoring systems (VMSS code 21).
- Excessive disputes — dispute ratios and volumes exceeding Visa's operating limits over a defined measurement period (VMSS code 22).
- Illegal transactions — processing payments for prohibited goods or services under applicable law or Visa's rules (VMSS code 24).
- Violation of Visa rules — breaches of Visa's operating regulations or FIS's processing agreement (VMSS code 31).
Your account termination documentation from FIS will typically reference the reason category. For full definitions, see our VMSS reason codes page.
What FIS's risk team looks for
FIS's compliance and risk review operates at institutional scale, reflecting its role as a core financial infrastructure provider. Removal requests require formal, comprehensive documentation. Your submission must address each of the following:
- Root cause — a specific, honest account of the factors that caused the VMSS listing. FIS risk reviewers expect precision and detail, not broad generalisations about business performance.
- Corrective actions — documented, implemented changes to operations, compliance controls, or business model. Each action should be specific, evidenced, and dated where possible.
- Evidence — formal supporting documentation: compliance certificates, updated operational policies, improved metrics, third-party audits, or other verifiable evidence relevant to the reason code.
- No recurrence — a credible structural argument for why the root cause cannot repeat, based on demonstrable changes rather than assurances.
Only FIS, as the acquirer that listed you, can submit a removal request to Visa. Given FIS's institutional scale, routing the request to the correct risk or compliance team — rather than general support — is critical to the request being reviewed.
How to submit a VMSS removal request to FIS
The process is:
- Confirm that FIS was the acquiring entity that terminated your account and submitted the VMSS listing — FIS operates multiple processing brands and subsidiaries.
- Identify the VMSS reason code from your termination notice or FIS account closure documentation.
- Prepare a comprehensive, formally structured removal request addressing root cause, corrective actions, and evidence at institutional documentation standard.
- Submit the request to FIS's risk or compliance department through the appropriate formal channel — not general merchant support.
- Follow up formally if you do not receive a substantive response within the expected timeframe.
We help you build and submit that request. Our questionnaire extracts the specific facts of your case, and we draft a formally structured letter suited to FIS's institutional review process. Start your removal request.
Frequently asked questions
- Can FIS remove me from the VMSS list?
- Yes — if FIS submitted the listing, only FIS can request removal from Visa. Visa does not remove VMSS listings on direct merchant request.
- What does FIS need to review a VMSS removal request?
- Formal written documentation: a specific root cause analysis, documented corrective actions with evidence, and a credible structural no-recurrence argument. FIS expects submissions at institutional documentation standard.
- How long does FIS take to review?
- Several weeks to a few months. Routing the request to the correct internal team and providing comprehensive documentation is essential to progressing efficiently through FIS's formal review process.