Product Level Payment Network Acquired Transaction Authorization

A product purchase authorization processor-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, at an address of an acquirer for a merchant, a payment network authorization request message that includes:
• an employee benefit account identifier for an employee benefit account;
• an address of a merchant;
• and
• a product inventory code for each of a plurality of different products;
• sending the payment network authorization request message from the address of the acquirer for the merchant to an address of a payment network system;
• sending the payment network authorization request message from the address of the payment network system to an address of an issuer of the employee benefit account;
• determining, using the payment network authorization request message, that the employee benefit account identifier is valid by matching the employee benefit account identifier against a stored set of employee benefit account identifiers, and if so then for each of the respective said products:
• determining that each of the product inventory codes in the payment network authorization request message matches a qualified product category under the employee benefit account, and if so then:
• sending, in response to the payment network authorization request message, an authorization response from the address of the issuer to the address of the payment network system,
• wherein the authorization response includes an authorization for the use of the employee benefit account for a payment transaction;
• sending the authorization response from the address of the payment network system to the address of the acquirer for the merchant;
• and
• sending the authorization response from the address of the acquirer for the merchant to the address of the merchant.

A product purchase authorization processor-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, at an address of an acquirer for a merchant, data in a transaction record that includes:
• an identifier for an employee benefit account;
• and
• a product description field for a product;
• sending data in the transaction record from the address of the acquirer for the merchant to an address of a payment network system;
• sending data in the transaction record from the address of the payment network system to an address of an issuer of the employee benefit account;
• sending data in the transaction record from the address of the issuer to an address of an agent of the issuer;
• determining, by the agent of the issuer using predetermined program compliance rules for the employee benefit account, whether a transaction with a consumer for a purchase of the product with the employee benefit account is permissible;
• sending an authorization response from the address of the issuer to the address of the payment network system, wherein the authorization response includes an indicator whether the transaction is permissible from the determination;
• sending the authorization response from the address of the payment network system to the address of the acquirer for the merchant;
• and
• sending the authorization response from the address of the acquirer for the merchant to the address of the merchant.

A product purchase authorization apparatus, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor executable instructions to:
• receive, at an address of an issuer of an account, a payment network authorization request message that includes:
• an account identifier for an account being used to conduct a transaction on the account with a merchant;
• an item code corresponding to an item to be purchased in the transaction from the merchant;
• and
• an address of the merchant;
• and
• determine that the account identifier in the payment network authorization request message is valid by matching the account identifier against a stored set of account identifiers;
• determine that the item code corresponding to the item to be purchased in the payment network authorization request message matches a qualified item category under the account having the valid account identifier;
• send, in response to determining that the account identifier is valid and the item code matches a qualified item category, an authorization response from the address of the issuer for delivery, over a payment network, to the address of the merchant.

A processor-readable storage non-transitory medium storing product purchase authorization processor-executable instructions issuable by a processor to:

• receive, at an address of an issuer of an account, a payment network authorization request message that includes:
• an account identifier for an account being used to conduct a transaction on the account with a merchant;
• an item code corresponding to an item to be purchased in the transaction from the merchant;
• and
• an address of the merchant;
• and
• determine that the account identifier in the payment network authorization request message is valid by matching the account identifier against a stored set of account identifiers;
• determine that the item code corresponding to the item to be purchased in the payment network authorization request message matches a qualified item category under the account having the valid account identifier;
• send, in response to determining that the account identifier is valid and the item code matches a qualified item category, an authorization response from the address of the issuer for delivery, over a payment network, to the address of the merchant.