Account Updater

Keep current on customer account information changes

Visa Account Updater (VAU) enables the electronic exchange of updated account information among participating Merchants, their Visa Merchant Bank, and Visa card Issuers.

Serving as an automated, dedicated, and secure clearinghouse, VAU makes changes to cardholder account information available in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner, benefiting both Merchants and their customers.

How VAU works: five simple steps

1. Merchants are enrolled in VAU through their participating Visa Merchant Bank.
2. Visa card Issuers submit electronic files with updates to Visa when a cardholder’s account information changes.
3. Issuers are required to send these file updates within two business days, and are strongly encouraged to send them daily to ensure that account-on-file Merchants have the advantage of the latest authorization data.
4. Participating Merchants submit account numbers, through their Visa Merchant Bank, for customers with whom they have an ongoing payment relationship. VAU processes inquiries against its database and provides responses to the Visa Merchant Bank.
5. Participating Merchants are required to update their customer account database within five business days after receiving VAU updates from their Visa Merchant Bank and to ensure that the updated database is used in future Visa transactions in accordance with Visa Account Updater Terms of Use.

The value of VAU

• Ability to enable the electronic exchange of updated account information among participating Merchants, their Visa Merchant Bank, and Visa card Issuers.
• The power of a streamlined process to prevent disruption of customer relationships that result from changes to Visa account information.
• Increased sales, more approved transactions, and higher levels of customer satisfaction due to cost savings achieved by not having to contact customers manually.

Benefits for merchants

• Helps retain customers.
• Increases customer loyalty.
• Increases approved card transactions by reducing authorization declines.
• Reduces customer service expense by preventing interruption of the payment relationship.

Benefits for your customers

• Provides uninterrupted service.
• Improves customer satisfaction by reducing negative experiences caused by declined transactions.
• Keeps account update process transparent to customers.

Getting started

For additional details about VAU and how you can enroll, please contact your Visa Merchant Bank.