Overview

This guide explains how to configure Recurly’s Account Updater service, including direct integration with American Express® Cardrefresher. Merchants with OptBlue or gateway‐generated SE numbers cannot use AMEX Cardrefresher through Recurly; a direct Amex merchant account and SE number are required.

Prerequisites & limitations

• Integration with Recurly’s platform.
• Activation of the Account Updater feature in the Recurly payment settings page.
• For American Express® Cardrefresher, an American Express® merchant account is required, and your business must be located in the United States. OptBlue merchant accounts (gateway‐provided SE numbers) are not supported.
• One-time transactions are not submitted to the Account Updater service.
• Account Updater will not work for merchants using exclusively gateway tokens where Recurly does not have access to actual card data. Work with your gateway partner to enable Account Updater if needed.

Definition

Recurly’s Account Updater is a proactive service that automatically monitors and updates stored credit card details through integrations with Mastercard®, Visa®, American Express®, and Discover®. By keeping billing info fresh, it reduces failed payments and subscriber churn.

Credit card support

Stay ahead of subscriber churn with Recurly’s Account Updater. This feature integrates with Account Updater programs from Mastercard®, Visa®, American Express®, and Discover®. The cardholder’s bank—not Recurly—determines participation, sending account‐change events to each network. Additionally, Recurly now supports card updates in Europe.

Configuration & availability

Account Updater is available on all Recurly plans. As of October 26, enabling Account Updater is even simpler via its dedicated page under Payments Settings. Remember: although you can enable Account Updater in any environment, updates only occur when your site is in production mode.

Enabling Account Updater in Recurly

1. Login to Recurly: Sign in to your Recurly account.

2. Access Payments Settings: Navigate to the Payments Settings page from the dashboard.

3. Locate Account Updater: Find the Account Updater box at the top.

4. Enable the Feature: Click Enable.

5. Enter MCC and SE Number: In the prompt, provide:

   • Mastercard® Merchant Category Code (MCC) (required to enable Mastercard® updates)
   • 10-digit American Express® SE number (required to enable Cardrefresher)
     Enter these accurately.
   
   

6. Confirm Charges: Check the box to authorize the monthly Account Updater fee. If you lack MCC or SE number, you can still enable Visa® and Discover® only.

7. Completion: Click Enable. Your status will update to show you’re enabled for Visa®, Mastercard®, Discover®, and American Express®.

Note: Ensure the SE number is correct. Gateway‐provided (OptBlue) SE numbers will not work—only direct Amex SE numbers are supported.

Triggers

Account Updater runs on a publish/subscribe model for Mastercard®, Visa®, American Express®, and Discover®:

• Updated Expiration Date: Automatically updates expiration in billing info.
• Updated Credit Card Number: Replaces the first six and last four digits in the customer’s account.
• Credit Card Account Closed: Flags billing info as invalid to prevent further charges.

Each of these events fires the Update Billing Info webhook.

American Express® integration with Recurly

Recurly’s American Express® Cardrefresher integration provides an automated solution to keep Amex card details up-to-date. By connecting to the Amex Account Updater (Card Refresher), Recurly ensures stored card details remain current, reducing payment failures. However, to use this service, you must have a direct American Express® merchant account and SE number. OptBlue (gateway) SE numbers are not supported—Recurly cannot process them.

Account activity

Monitor credit‐card billing info updates by Account Updater under an Account’s Activity section.

Excluding an account’s billing information

If you prefer not to update billing info for certain customers, you can opt them out:

1. Navigate to the specific customer account in Recurly.
2. Scroll to the Billing Info section on the right.
3. Toggle the Account Updater setting as needed.

Disabling Account Updater in Recurly

🚧

If you disable Account Updater, you cannot re-enable it for 10 business days.

1. Navigate to Payments Settings and click Disable in the Account Updater box’s upper right.
2. A pop-up will appear—confirm you want to disable.

3. Check all three boxes and click Disable.

Notes

1. Account Updater applies only to stored credit cards; it’s not visible for non-card payment methods.
2. Only users with billing-info editing rights can access these settings.
3. Once enabled, all billing info is submitted to the Account Updater service by default.

FAQs

Q: How does Recurly’s Account Updater work?

A: When enabled, Recurly periodically checks with participating card networks to refresh stored payment details, helping avoid declined transactions due to outdated card information.

Q: Which card brands participate in Recurly’s Account Updater?

A: Participation varies, but major brands like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are supported. Discover® is also included.

Q: Do I need to do anything after enabling Account Updater?

A: No. Once enabled, Recurly handles all checks and updates automatically. You’ll see improved authorization rates as stale card details are replaced.

Q: What if I have Account Updater enabled at both Recurly and another gateway?

A: There’s no guarantee which system updates first. Maintaining both can lead to temporary data mismatches and extra costs, since Recurly can’t see updates made by another gateway.

Q: When is it better to enable Account Updater at another gateway instead of Recurly?

A: If you store only gateway tokens (not full card data) in Recurly, updating card info at the gateway level may be necessary. However, this won’t refresh data within Recurly itself—so customer billing info in Recurly may remain outdated.