Credit card system and method

In a financial transaction system capable of using at least one limited use credit card number which is deactivated upon a use-triggered condition which occurs subsequent to assignment of the at least one credit card number and which is associated with the master account number of a customer, a method of conducting a settlement transaction comprising the steps of:

• electronically receiving a signal transmitted from a merchant according to leading digits of the limited use card number;
• electronically remapping the limited use credit card number with the master account number;
• electronically transmitting said remapped master account number to an issuer processing facility which issued the master account number;
• receiving payment for settling the transaction, if appropriate;
• electronically remapping the master account number back to the limited use credit card number;
• and
• electronically transmitting the limited use credit card number and payment information, if appropriate, to the merchant.

In a financial transaction system capable of using at least one limited use credit card number, which is deactivated upon a use-triggered condition which occurs subsequent to assignment of the at least one limited use credit card number and is associated with a master credit card number, a method of conducting a transaction involving the limited use credit card comprising the steps of:

• initiating a transaction by a customer presenting a limited use credit card number to a merchant electronically or in person;
• electronically routing said limited use credit card number to a central processing system;
• electronically determining whether said limited use credit card number has been deactivated because at least one use-triggered condition has been satisfied;
• electronically transmitting a signal to a master credit card issuing facility which issued the limited use credit card number, the signal including original transaction details but with the limited use credit card number remapped to be the master credit card number if the limited use credit card number has not been deactivated;
• electronically determining whether authorization can be obtained against the master credit card number;
• electronically remapping the results of the authorization determining step to the limited use credit card number for transmission to the merchant;
• and
• electronically transmitting a signal to the merchant with the results of the authorization determining step for the limited use credit card number.