Visa Account Updater (VAU) FAQs
Visa Account Updater
VAU General FAQs
Does VAU also provide cardholder name or address changes?
No. Visa Account Updater (VAU) supports only account number and expiration date changes, and closed account and contact cardholder advices.
How do I enroll in VAU?
Enrollment is easy. Review the participation requirement in the Visa Account Updater Terms of Use and contact your Visa representative, or email Visa Account Updater (VAU) Client Support Team at updater@visa.com (for North America customers), customersupport@visa.com (for Europe customers), or iSupport@visa.com (for AP customers).
How do I learn more about VAU?
To learn more about Visa Account Updater (VAU), contact your Visa representative, or email VAU Client Support Team at updater@visa.com (for North America customers), customersupport@visa.com (for Europe customers), or iSupport@visa.com (for AP customers). For other regions, please contact your Visa representative.
How does VAU and Real Time VAU work?
Visa Account Updater (VAU) offers multiple solutions that solve the problem of card changes; VAU (batch and API) and Real Time VAU. Each solution has unique capabilities, but all provide automatic account updates to merchants and acquirers. These solutions are not mutually exclusive, so it’s recommended that merchants and acquirers participate in all solutions where appropriate. In any case, cardholders do not always have to update their payment information and merchants can manage account information with ease. By delivering this time-saving efficiency, you create value for each stakeholder in the payment process.
VAU processes inquiries against its database and provides responses to the acquirer. Visa will only respond to specific data elements within an inquiry file or API call from a qualified merchant. Responses include account number or expiration date updates, closed account advices and contact cardholder advices. The acquirer forwards the responses within two business days to the requesting merchants, who must then update on-file accounts before requesting an authorization.
The process changes for Real Time VAU:
Merchants send authorization request through their acquirers including the VAU indicator. VisaNet determines Real Time VAU eligibility based on defined criteria. If eligible, VisaNet sends inquiry to VAU. If not, transaction proceeds to authorization request.
Authorization request is sent to issuer. If account information has changed, authorization request is updated first.
Authorization response is sent to acquirer and merchant with updated information provided by VAU.
Merchants must update their billing files.
Transactions do not need to be approved to receive updated PAN and/or expiration date values or account status updates in the transaction response message.
How often do card details change in VAU?
On average, 30 percent of the Visa Account Updater (VAU) card accounts in an issuer’s portfolio incur a change to the account number or expiration date or are closed every year.
Is testing a requirement to implement VAU?
Visa Account Updater (VAU) testing is mandatory for new client enrollment. Visa requires the issuer or acquirer submit at least one file successfully and receive the corresponding daily report before the VAU segment can be promoted to production status.
What does VAU do?
Visa Account Updater (VAU) enables the electronic exchange of updated account information (account number and expiration date changes, and account closures and contact cardholder advices) among participating issuers, acquirers and merchants that process Visa transactions using credential-on-file data.
What types of VAU account changes are supported?
Visa Account Updater (VAU) supports account number changes (such as for account upgrades or lost or stolen cards), new card expiration dates, account closures, product conversions, and brand conversions. VAU also supports transmission of advices that instruct the merchant to contact the cardholder for further payment instructions in some situations, such as when a divorced former joint account holder creates a new individual account. Real Time VAU only supports Visa-related updates, and not brand conversions.
What are the addressable decline codes for VAU/Real Time VAU?
Visa Account Updater (VAU) and Real Time VAU can help reduce declines for these response codes.
| Auth Response Code | Auth Response Code Description |
|---|---|
| 14 | Invalid Account Number |
| 46 | Closed Account |
| 54 | Expired Card / No Exp Date |
| 04 | Pick Up Card |
| 07 | Pick Up Card, Spcl Cond |
| 41 | Pick Up Card, Lost |
| 43 | Pick Up Card, Stolen |
| 01 | Refer to Issuer |
| 02 | Refer to Issuer, Special Condition |
What if I have a technical problem or question about VAU?
Check Visa Online for Visa Account Updater (VAU) information including the Visa Account Updater Implementation Guide or contact your regional Visa Client Support Team Representative or Account Manager.
The client can email updater@visa.com (for North America customers), customersupport@visa.com (for Europe customers), or iSupport@visa.com (for AP customers) for any questions. For other regions, please contact your Visa representative.
VAU Issuer FAQs
Are VAU issuer account updates pushed to all merchants?
Through their Visa Account Updater (VAU) acquirers, enrolled merchants submit inquiries regarding accounts with which they have ongoing relationships.
VAU: The service processes inquiries against its database and provides responses to the acquirer. Visa will only respond to specific data elements within an inquiry file or API request from a qualified merchant (e-commerce and card-on-file (COF)). Responses include account number or expiration date updates, closed account advices and contact cardholder advices. The acquirer forwards the responses within two business days to the requesting merchants, who must then update on-file accounts before requesting an authorization.
Can a VAU issuer block a specific merchant from receiving its updates?
If a Visa Account Updater (VAU) issuer determines that it would rather not supply information to a particular participating merchant, it may block the merchant. Note that the blocking functionality is not on an account-by-account basis; the issuer must block the merchant completely. For more information, see the VAU Merchant Exclusions section of the Visa Account Updater Service Description.
Can a VAU issuer stop a specific account update from being shared with a specific merchant?
Visa Account Updater (VAU) allows issuers to place cardholder-level Stop Advices at a merchant level. This means that individual merchants cannot receive any updates on a specific PAN unless the issuer removes the Stop Advice for the PAN. Issuers can set up Stop Advices either through the Visa Online VAU application or through the Stop Advice API. For more information, see the VAU Stop Advices section of the Visa Account Updater Service Description.