How MerchantGuard™ Works
The intelligence system that keeps you compliant, profitable, and scaling. Get your payment crisis plan ready before problems strike.
Two-tier guidance
Start with quick wins, upgrade when ready for full implementation
Step 1 — Free GuardScore™ (Lite Quick Guides)
In ~60 seconds, you will get a personalized score plus Lite Quick Guides (1–2 pages) targeted to your exact risks. These are designed to unlock fast wins immediately.
Step 2 — $199 Pro Playbooks (when ready)
Upgrade to the full playbooks (10–40 pages) with fill‑in templates and platform‑specific steps, plus an underwriter‑ready evidence pack and 12‑month alerts.
GuardScore™ - Your Compliance Health Score
A unified view of your compliance health across payments, fraud prevention, and regulatory requirements. Think of it as a credit score for merchant risk—helping you understand exactly where you stand and what needs attention before problems arise.
Real-Time Assessment
Risk assessment across 50+ compliance factors
Smart Alerts
Automated alerts when thresholds approach danger zones
Industry Benchmarking
Compare against industry standards and PSP requirements
Actionable Insights
Clear recommendations to improve your score
Two-Sided Data Flywheel
Our competitive advantage: combining soft operational data with hard transactional data to create the most accurate risk predictions in the industry.
VAMP Reality Check
- Same-month calculation: VAMP uses (TC40 fraud + all TC15 disputes) ÷ same month sales.
- Double-counting: one fraud can be counted twice (early fraud TC40, then chargeback TC15).
- Exclusions: RDR/CDRN can exclude TC15; CE3.0 can exclude TC40—if resolved the same month.
- Grace Period: First-time violations receive warnings. Subsequent breaches within 12 months trigger immediate $8 penalties.
Industry Practice: To protect their portfolio thresholds (0.70% Excessive / 0.50% Above Standard), many acquirers enforce internal merchant limits around ~0.30–0.40%. This is market practice, not official Visa policy.
Soft Data Collection
Policies, procedures, team expertise, compliance frameworks, and operational readiness
Hard Data Integration
Transaction patterns, chargeback rates, fraud indicators, and real customer behavior
PSP Integration Paths
We work with your existing payment infrastructure through multiple integration options. We only share your details with a PSP when you tap Send my info—you are always in control.
Batch CSV
Nightly data exports for basic compliance monitoring
Real-time API
Live transaction analysis and instant risk scoring
Revenue Share
Performance-based model - We succeed when you succeed
Multi-PSP Orchestration Ready
The Challenge
Switching or adding payment processors often means re-proving compliance from scratch.
Our Solution
One portable GuardScore™ plus an orchestration checklist that multiple processors accept as a common evidence pack.
The Result
Add or switch providers confidently — including premium checkouts and specialized PSPs — without restarting reviews. For specialist verticals, we introduce vetted high‑risk processors with explicit category tolerance—stability beats "instant approvals."
What is a specialist PSP?
Processors that explicitly underwrite high‑risk categories (gaming, CBD, crypto‑adjacent) with transparent terms and real underwriter reviews—no aggregator surprises. (We introduce vetted specialists privately in GuardScore with your context attached—score, industry, volume.)
Get a specialist intro →MerchantGuard is not affiliated with brands mentioned. Trademarks belong to their owners.
What is free vs. what is Pro
Free (GuardScore):
your score, targeted Lite PDFs, and risk snapshots in ~60 seconds.
Pro ($199):
a complete readiness package that includes the evidence pack, Pro playbooks, and pre‑filled onboarding materials so you can apply to your top processors the same day.
What we measure (North‑Star KPI):
Top‑3 PSP Hit Rate — We track how often our top three recommendations lead to a successful approval. It is the accuracy dial that powers the entire system—and the reason results keep improving as more outcomes flow back into training.
Ready to Get Started?
Get your free GuardScore™ assessment in under 60 seconds and see exactly where you stand.
Launch GuardScore™ (~60 sec)No credit card required. Takes ~60 seconds.