Visa® Account Updater (VAU) enables the exchange of updated account information electronically among participating issuers, acquirers, and merchants that process account-on-file Visa transactions. These merchants include recurring and auto bill payment providers, subscription services, certain online merchants, and preferred customer travel and entertainment programs.

• After meeting participation requirements, issuer and acquirers enroll in VAU. Acquirers enroll qualified merchants.
• Issuers provide Visa with changes to account numbers and expiration dates resulting from business situations such as product upgrades, acquisitions and mergers, account closures, and MasterCard-to-Visa portfolio conversions.
• Through their acquirers, merchants submit inquiries regarding accounts with which they have ongoing relationships.
• VAU processes inquiries against its database and provides responses to merchants via their acquirers.
• Participating merchants update their customer databases with refreshed account data before transactions are authorized—avoiding potential declines, streamlining the authorization process, reducing costs, and saving valuable time.

What It Does

• Helps merchants update their account-on-file information.
• Provides an automated, dedicated, and secure clearinghouse for easy access to this information.
• Makes changes to cardholder account information available in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
• Supports multiple updates to a single Visa account.
• Allows issuers to block updates to selected participating merchants.

Benefits Overview

Issuer

• Maintains continuity of payment relationships with the cardholder by reducing the opportunity to switch payment method or cancel the service when account information changes.
• Helps retain customers by making payment with a Visa card more convenient.
• Helps achieve deeper penetration into the account-on-file segment, including the $1.7 trillion bill payment segment, of which Visa’s volume surpassed $100 billion in 2006.*
• Helps reduce costs of customer service calls resulting from declines related to account data.

Acquirer

• Strengthens relationships with existing account-on-file merchants by reducing declines caused by changes in account information.
• Offers acquirers a selling advantage by providing merchants a value add service.
• Provides the opportunity to pursue new markets.
• Creates a potential new revenue stream.
• Increases sales volume due to seamless acceptance for account-on-file transactions.

Merchant

• Simplifies and secures account-on-file transactions.
• Increases authorization approvals.
• Helps increase sales and retain customers.
• Reduces the costs associated with contacting customers to obtain updated information.
• Cuts customer service expenses by preventing interruption of payment relationship.

Consumer

• Offers a seamless account update process.
• Facilitates uninterrupted service.
• Reduces negative experiences caused by declines.

Target Audience

• All U.S. acquirers and issuers are encouraged to enroll.
• Issuers whose customers use their card for recurring or automatic bill payment transactions.
• Merchants whose business model involves account-on-file payment processes.

For More Information

For more information, please call your Visa Account Executive or Contact Us.