Visa has launched a new Enhanced Subscription Manager as part of its Digital Issuer Solutions platform, aiming to tackle growing risks tied to the rapid expansion of the subscription economy, including disputes, chargebacks and reduced transaction transparency.
With global subscriptions projected to reach 12 billion by 2030, recurring payments are becoming an increasingly significant source of both revenue and fraud exposure for issuers and merchants alike. Poor visibility over subscription billing has long been a driver of ‘friendly fraud’, forgotten payments and customer disputes, areas that fraud and risk teams continue to monitor closely.
Visa’s new solution, developed in collaboration with bill management provider Pinwheel, is designed to give cardholders greater control over recurring payments directly within their banking apps. Key features include consolidated subscription visibility, in-app cancellation and card switching across more than 100 major merchants.
For anti-merchant fraud professionals, the move reflects a broader shift toward pre-emptive dispute reduction. By enabling customers to identify and cancel unwanted subscriptions before charges occur, issuers can reduce the volume of chargeback, particularly those linked to unrecognised or forgotten recurring payments.
The lack of transparency in subscription billing has become a persistent friction point. Consumers often lose track of multiple subscriptions, increasing the likelihood of disputes once charges appear. This creates operational strain for merchants and issuers, while also opening the door to abuse through duplicate claims or opportunistic refund requests.
Visa’s approach aligns with growing demand for in-app bill management. Research from Pinwheel indicates that 75% of consumers expect these capabilities, while more than half of younger customers would consider switching banks to access them, suggesting that improved visibility is now both a competitive differentiator and a risk mitigation tool.
From a fraud perspective, embedding subscription controls at the issuer level could also help reduce reliance on reactive processes, such as post-transaction dispute handling and manual investigations.
As subscription volumes continue to scale, solutions that improve transparency and customer control are likely to play a critical role in balancing user experience with fraud prevention, helping firms reduce unnecessary losses while maintaining trust in recurring payment ecosystems.
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