Visa Stop Payment Service

The information required to create a VSPS stop instruction is:

• Card/Account Number
• Stop Instruction Type
• Merchant Identifier (for Merchant-level stop instructions)
• Start Date (stop instructions will start immediately, unless a future start date is specified)
• End Date (usually the last day of a month)
  
• Optional matching information to fine tune the stop instruction (such as min/max transaction amounts)
  
• Optional non-matching information (included for later reference)

The Search Stop Instructions API allows you to search for existing stop instructions using a card number (PAN), returning the Stop ID and summary information for each active stop instruction. You can then retrieve details of a stop instruction using the Retrieve Stop Instruction API; sending the Stop ID will return the stop instruction type, merchant identifier, expiration date and any other relevant matching details.

A merchant identifier, such as the Card Acceptor ID (CAID), Merchant Name or Payment Facilitator ID/Sub-Merchant ID (PFID/SMID) is needed when adding a new stop instruction. These may be obtained using the Eligible Transaction Search API which returns a summary record of all VSPS-eligible transactions against a submitted PAN for a defined time period. The results include details from previous Authorization Requests and Clearing Records. Issuers are recommended to use data from previous authorization transactions to stop further Authorization Requests from being approved. The data from previous Clearing Records may also be used to help provide additional cardholder protection in case unauthorized transactions are submitted directly into Clearing.

The Cancel Stop Instruction API allows you to cancel single or multiple stop instructions on file for a given card number (PAN). After retrieving stop instruction details, you can cancel a single instruction by sending the Stop ID; or you can cancel multiple stop instructions against a single PAN by sending up to ten Stop IDs in the cancellation message.

Use the Linked Stop Instruction resource in the Visa Stop Payment Service (VSPS) API to retrieve all stop instruction IDs linked to a given stop instruction.

This resource finds single or multiple linked stop instructions created using the linking feature for VSPS and Visa Account Updater (VAU). With VSPS-VAU linking, issuers can ensure stop instructions previously created on a canceled or expired card are automatically recreated on a new card when the new card information is passed through VAU.

This resource may be useful when cardholders wish to remove previously placed stop instructions, for example, when trying to resubscribe to a previously canceled service or subscription. Issuers can ensure stop instructions linked to both the old and new credentials passed through VAU are canceled, so that authorization requests from merchants are not declined.

The Update Stop Instruction API allows you to update the merchant identifier of an existing stop instruction, or append additional notes to the stop instruction for future reference. Note: if the merchant identifier is changed, then a new Stop ID is created and the current one is cancelled. If any information other than that used for matching is changed then the Stop ID remains the same.

The Extend Stop Instruction API allows you to extend the End Date of an active stop instruction. This is particularly useful if there is evidence that the merchant is continuing to try to take payment as the stop instruction end date approaches. Changing the End Date does not result in a new Stop ID.

The VSPS API simulator may be used by any developer in the sandbox. Currently, however, only Visa issuers or their development partners, on the issuer's behalf, can use the VSPS APIs in production.

The VSPS API messages are compatible with the VSPS User Interface (UI) that is accessible through VOL and subject to separate subscription and participation requiremements. If you have multiple departments using VSPS through different channels, the stop instructions will be compatible across both channels. This means you can add stop instructions through the API, then view and update them if you wish through the UI. All activity may be viewed using the online reports available through the VSPS UI, and a VSPS Implementation/User Guide is also made available to help you make the best use of the service.