Real time account update

Abstract

A method is used in a system that includes a financial service provider coordinating accounts issued by an issuer to cardholders requesting credit from merchants. Each merchant has an acquirer with whom the financial service provider also coordinates the accounts. The method can be performed by a merchant or a financial service provider, the merchant sending a transmission to its acquirer including a request for a transaction against one account to which the merchant receives a denial or prior to receiving such a denial. The merchant then requests information from the financial service provider who responds by sending the requested information, upon which the merchant determines whether to extend the credit.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving a batch request at a transaction handler from a merchant to update stored account holder information;   identifying changes to the account holder information for each account included in the batch request; and   batch updating the account holder information for each of the accounts included in the batch request based on the changes to the account holder information.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein identifying changes to the account holder information for each account included in the batch request comprises:
 comparing the account holder information for each account included in the batch request with account information stored at the transaction handler; and 
 determining which account holder information has changed. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 receiving an update to the account information from an issuer; and 
 storing the updated account information. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the merchant can send the batch request periodically. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the merchant can adjust a frequency at which the batch request is periodically sent. 
     
     
         26 . A method comprising:
 sending a batch request to update account holder information, wherein the batch request includes the account holder information to be updated; and   wherein the batch request is received by a transaction handler which determines changes to the account holder information included in the batch request and updates the account holder information based on the changes to create updated account holder information.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising receiving a batch update which includes the updated account holder information. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the transaction handler stores account information received from an issuer. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein sending a batch request to update the database comprises periodically sending batch requests to update the database. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising adjusting a frequency at which the batch requests are periodically sent. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the changes can include changes to one or more of a card number and an expiration date. 
     
     
         32 . A computer comprising a processor, and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code which, when executed by the processor causes the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:
 receiving a batch request at a transaction handler from a merchant to update stored account holder information;   identifying changes to the account holder information for each account included in the batch request; and   batch updating the account holder information for each of the accounts included in the batch request based on the changes to the account holder information.   
     
     
         33 . The computer of  claim 32  wherein identifying changes to the account holder information for each account included in the batch request comprises:
 comparing the account holder information for each account included in the batch request with account information stored at the transaction handler; and 
 determining which account holder information has changed. 
 
     
     
         34 . The computer of  claim 32  further comprising:
 receiving an update to the account information from an issuer; and 
 storing the updated account information. 
 
     
     
         35 . The computer of  claim 32  wherein the merchant can send the batch request periodically, and wherein the merchant can adjust a frequency at which the batch request is periodically sent. 
     
     
         36 . A computer comprising a processor, and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code which, when executed by the processor causes the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:
 sending a batch request to update account holder information, wherein the batch request includes the account holder information to be updated; and   wherein the batch request is received by a transaction handler which determines changes to the account holder information included in the batch request and updates the account holder information based on the changes to create updated account holder information.   
     
     
         37 . The computer of  claim 36  further comprising receiving a batch update which includes the updated account holder information. 
     
     
         38 . The computer of  claim 36  further comprising wherein the transaction handler stores account information received from an issuer. 
     
     
         39 . The computer of  claim 36  wherein sending a batch request to update the database comprises periodically sending batch requests to update the database. 
     
     
         40 . The computer of  claim 39  further comprising adjusting a frequency at which the batch requests are periodically sent.