Visa Business News Update: Compelling Evidence 3.0 Qualification
Effective October 17, 2025, Visa will implement automatic qualifications for Compelling Evidence 3.0 (CE3.0) through Visa Secure in the Asia Pacific (AP), Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This enhancement aims to combat first-party fraud and streamline the dispute resolution process for merchants.
Understanding Compelling Evidence 3.0
Compelling Evidence 3.0 is designed to assist merchants in responding to disputes where cardholders claim that transactions, particularly card-not-present transactions, are fraudulent. By utilizing CE3.0, merchants can protect themselves from liability related to these disputes. The program encourages a proactive approach by allowing merchants to share essential data elements during authentication.
This new qualification process is part of Visa’s broader initiative to enhance the Visa Secure framework, which also includes Visa Data Only (VDO). By leveraging VDO, merchants will be able to provide specific data points that help establish a historical relationship between the cardholder and the merchant. This relationship is crucial in determining the legitimacy of the transaction and whether it can be classified as fraudulent.
Automatic Qualifications for CE3.0
Starting on October 17, 2025, Visa will automatically qualify transactions for CE3.0 through Visa Secure. This means that if a merchant participates in Visa Secure and meets the CE3.0 criteria, fraudulent disputes will be automatically blocked by Visa Resolve Online (VROL). This feature significantly reduces the administrative burden on merchants, as they will no longer need to manually assess each dispute that falls under the CE3.0 guidelines.
The automatic qualification will also extend to Canada and the U.S. on the same date, ensuring that merchants across these regions can benefit from the enhanced protection against chargebacks.
Historical Data and Merchant Participation
Merchants enrolled in Visa Secure will be automatically included in the CE3.0 program. The data elements provided during the VDO process after April 13, 2025, will contribute to the merchant’s historical data footprint. This historical data will play a critical role in assessing the legitimacy of disputes under Dispute Condition 10.4: Other Fraud—Card-Absent Environment.
By analysing this data, Visa will determine whether the CE3.0 criteria are met, enabling VROL to block disputes that do not meet the fraud threshold. This automated process not only enhances security but also improves the overall transaction experience for legitimate customers.
Key Takeaways
Visa’s implementation of CE3.0 is a significant advancement in the fight against first-party fraud. By automatically qualifying transactions through Visa Secure, merchants can focus on their core business activities without the constant worry of chargebacks from fraudulent claims. The integration of historical data into the dispute resolution process ensures a more robust defence against false disputes, ultimately protecting both merchants and customers.
As the rollout date approaches, it is vital for acquirers, issuers, and merchants to stay informed about these developments and prepare for the changes. Visa’s commitment to enhancing its security framework demonstrates its dedication to facilitating safer and more efficient payment processes within the global payments ecosystem.
Reference: Visa Business News. (2025, July 24). Compelling Evidence 3.0 Qualification Through Visa Secure Will Be Enabled in AP, CEMEA, Europe and LAC. Article ID: AI15461.
For more information about Compelling Evidence 3.0, please visit the Visa website.
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About Austreme
Austreme Technology is an industry leader specialising in ecommerce acquiring payment risk technologies and services. We provide a wide range of financial risk management services for global customers such as big data analytics, anti-transaction laundering, merchant website risk content monitoring, merchant onboarding and chargeback prevention. Austreme is a MasterCard Merchant Monitoring Service Provider (MMSP) since 2015, and a Visa Third Party Agent (TPA).