Account Updater

The account updater service refreshes card credentials before billing, so declines for expired or reissued cards are avoided entirely.

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Run account updater 2 months before the expiration date of the card.

Running account update before the expiration date provides the following benefits:

• Ensures updated credentials are in place before the card lapses. Eliminates 054 declines for cards that have been renewed by the issuer.
• Returns a closure notification for cards flagged as closed (046). Prompt the cardholder for a new card rather than billing into a permanent refusal.
• Reduces exposure to declines based on data entry and default value errors. Expiration dates beyond 2030, including dates in the 2040s through 2070s are almost certainly data entry errors or system defaults. Incorrect future dates prevent the account updater from identifying when to run a refresh and will mask genuinely expired cards.

How account updater works

To support recurring billing systems, all card networks operate account updater programs, allowing merchants to submit stored credentials and receive updated information before billing. Keep in mind the following items when developing your account updater integration:

• Updates are processed in batch overnight, with real-time variants available through some acquirers.
• The service covers expiry date refreshes, card number changes after reissue, and account closure flags — addressing both code 054 and code 046.
• Ensure your stored card dataset is clean. Correct implausible expiration dates when you first store the card to ensure correct operation of the account updater.
• Network tokenization integrates natively with account updater — tokens are updated automatically by the network, removing the need for manual batch submission.