Methods and systems for determining an optimal interbank network for routing real-time payment transactions

A server system, comprising:

• a communication interface;
• a memory comprising executable instructions;
• and
• a processor communicably coupled to the communication interface, the processor configured to execute the executable instructions to cause the server system to at least:
• access historical transaction data associated with an acquirer from an acquirer database,
• determine a plurality of payment transaction types corresponding to future payment transactions processing via the acquirer for a particular period of time based, at least in part, on the historical transaction data,
• predict a fixed interchange cost for each payment transaction type incurring to the acquirer for routing the future payment transactions through an interbank network of a plurality of interbank networks based, at least in part, on an interchange prediction model,
• perform a linear optimization utilizing a set of metrics, to make a decision whether to apply a merchant-specific discount to a particular payment transaction type, or not, the set of metrics comprising a total transaction cost for each payment transaction type, a discount factor associated with the interbank network, and a number of future payment transactions routing through the interbank network, and
• route real-time payment transactions through an optimal interbank network determined using the linear optimization.

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• accessing, by a server system, historical transaction data associated with an acquirer from an acquirer database;
• determining, by the server system, a plurality of payment transaction types corresponding to future payment transactions processing via the acquirer for a particular period of time based, at least in part, on the historical transaction data;
• predicting, by the server system, a fixed interchange cost for each payment transaction type incurring to the acquirer for routing the future payment transactions through an interbank network of a plurality of interbank networks based, at least in part, on an interchange prediction model;
• performing, by the server system, a linear optimization utilizing a set of metrics, to make a decision whether to apply a merchant-specific discount to a particular payment transaction type, or not, the set of metrics comprising a total transaction cost for each payment transaction type, a discount factor associated with the interbank network, and a number of future payment transactions routing through the interbank network;
• determining, by the server system, whether the number of future payment transactions routing through the interbank network exceeds a threshold value, or not;
• and
• routing, by the server system, real-time payment transactions through an optimal interbank network with a lowest total transaction cost, wherein the optimal interbank network is determined using the linear optimization.