DEFINITION
Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Program
Glossary / Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Program
The Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Program (ECP) monitors merchants with consistently high chargeback-to-transaction ratios. Once a merchant exceeds predefined thresholds — typically 1% of total transactions and 150 chargebacks in a single month — they may be enrolled. While enrolled, merchants face fines, operational restrictions, and additional monitoring. Continued violations can lead to account termination and placement on the MATCH List.
If you’re nearing ECP thresholds, it’s essential to act quickly to reduce chargebacks. AltoPay tracks your ratio in real time and can offer proactive advice to avoid threshold breaches. We also offer solutions that can help lower your chargeback ratio quickly:
- Chargeback prevention alerts
- Rapid Dispute Resolution (RDR)
If possible, it is best to avoid enrollment. Because the longer you’re enrolled, the more damage it can do to your business operations and reputation with processors.
NOTE
Each card brand has its own respective program for chargeback monitoring. The Visa equivalent is VAMP — the Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program.
For more than a decade, Jessica Velasco has been a thought leader in the payments industry. She aims to provide readers with valuable, easy-to-understand resources.
