Promotional item identification in processing of an acquired transaction on an issued account

A method comprising a plurality of steps, each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

• receiving, at a transaction handler from a merchant's acquirer, an authorization request for a transaction, wherein:
• the transaction is conducted between the merchant and an accountholder on an account issued by an issuer to the accountholder;
• any said transaction on the account can only be conducted with the merchant;
• the issuer is the acquirer;
• and
• the authorization request includes:
• an amount for the transaction;
• and
• an identifier for a item being purchased by the accountholder from the merchant;
• sending, from the transaction handler for delivery to the issuer, the authorization request;
• receiving, at the transaction handler from the issuer, an authorization response to the authorization request, wherein the authorization response includes:
• an amount different than the amount for the transaction;
• and
• an indicator from the issuer that the transaction is the first said transaction conducted on the account;
• sending, from the transaction handler for delivery to the merchant's acquirer, the authorization response;
• facilitating, by the transaction handler, clearing and settlement of the transaction on the account between the issuer and the merchant's acquirer for the amount in the authorization response, wherein the difference between the respective said amount in the authorization request and the authorization response is based upon at least one of:
• the indicator from the issuer that the transaction is the first said transaction conducted on the account;
• and
• the identifier for the item being purchased by the accountholder from the merchant.

A method comprising a plurality of steps, each being performed by hardware executing software, wherein the steps include:

• receiving, at a merchant, information for a transaction for a purchase of a promotion item and a non-promotional item, wherein:
• information includes an identifier for:
• an account issued by an issuer to the accountholder for the transaction which is being conducted on the account between the merchant and the accountholder;
• and
• the promotional item;
• and
• any said transaction on the account can only be conducted with the merchant;
• sending, from the merchant, an authorization request for the transaction for delivery to the issuer through a communication path through an acquirer and a transaction handler before the delivery to the issuer;
• receiving, at the merchant from the acquirer, an authorization response to the authorization request;
• sending, in a transmission directly from the merchant to the issuer, a promotional item settlement request that includes:
• the identifier for the promotional item;
• the identifier for the account;
• and
• an identifier for the transaction;
• sending, from the merchant, a transaction clearing request for the transaction for delivery to the issuer through a communication path through the acquirer and the transaction handler before the delivery to the issuer;
• receiving, at the merchant, a promotional item clearing response to the promotional item settlement request, wherein the promotional item clearing response includes settlement information corresponding to promotional financing from the issuer to the account holder derived from the identifier for the promotional item;
• and
• receiving, at the merchant from the acquirer, a transaction clearing response to the transaction settlement request.