Online transaction processing system with adaptive acquirer selection

A method comprising:

• receiving, at one or more processors of an online transaction processing system, payment data that is associated with a first online transaction involving a merchant and that relates to a particular one of a plurality of issuer systems;
• querying, by the one or more processors, a first database based on the payment data, wherein the first database is stored on at least one mass storage memory device and includes a plurality of first records, each of the first records including first data that relates to one of the issuer systems;
• receiving, at the one or more processors and from the first database, the first data that relates to the particular issuer system;
• selecting, by the one or more processors, an optimal acquirer system for the first online transaction from a plurality of acquirer systems that each have a relationship with the merchant based on the received first data;
• and
• transmitting, by the one or more processors, a request for a payment-related operation for the first online transaction to the optimal acquirer system.

A computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable medium;
• and
• instructions stored on the computer readable medium, wherein the instructions upon execution by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
• receive payment data that is associated with an online transaction involving a merchant and that relates to a particular one of a plurality of issuer systems;
• query a first database based on the payment data, wherein the first database is stored on at least one mass storage memory device and includes a plurality of first records, each of the first records including first data that relates to one of the issuer systems;
• receive, from the first database, the first data that relates to the particular issuer system;
• select an optimal acquirer system for the online transaction from a plurality of acquirer systems that each have a relationship with the merchant based on the received first data;
• and
• transmit a request for a payment-related operation for the online transaction to the optimal acquirer system.