System and method for managing recurring payments over a payment network

A method for managing recurring payments over a payment network, the method comprising:

• generating a payment graphical user interface for authorizing payment by a user, the payment graphical user interface allowing for authorization by the user to pay recurring payments in favor of a merchant, the payment graphical user interface providing a selectable feature to enable an override payment option whereby the user authorizes payment, from a user-designated account which is accessible by the payment network, of an override payment in lieu of one or both of a quantity and amount of the recurring payments, the override payment representing one or more of:
• (i) a fixed number of the recurring payments, each at a determined amount;
• and (ii) a reduction in an amount of at least a portion of the recurring payments;
• storing, in a database, data structures which associate the user, the merchant, and, details relating to the override payment, wherein, the details relating to the override payment include one or more of the fixed number of the recurring payments, the determined amount, and the reduction in the amount of the at least portion of the recurring payments;
• reviewing electronically formatted payment-related messages transmitted over the payment network to identify flags indicating the electronically formatted payment-related messages which are on a recurring payment basis, such being recurring-payment payment requests;
• parsing a first identified recurring-payment payment request to determine a first payment requestor and a first payor;
• comparing the first payment requestor and the first payor to the merchants and the users contained in the data structures to identify data structures which each include both the first payment requestor and the first payor;
• for each of the identified data structures, applying the details of the associated override payment so that,
• if the first identified recurring-payment payment request falls within the fixed number of the recurring payments represented by the override payment, then, comparing a payment amount requested in the first identified recurring-payment payment request with the determined amount so that,
• if the payment amount requested in the first identified recurring-payment payment request is no greater than the determined amount, declining the first identified recurring-payment payment request;
• or,
• if the payment amount requested in the first identified recurring-payment payment request is greater than the determined amount, generating a card-not-present payment request on the payment network in favor of the merchant for a difference between the payment amount requested in the first identified recurring-payment payment request and the determined amount;
• if the first identified recurring-payment payment request does not fall within the fixed number of the recurring payments represented by the override payment, generating a card-not-present payment request on the payment network in favor of the merchant for the payment amount requested in the first identified recurring-payment payment request.