Where Each Service Fits
Account Updater
- Updates the stored PAN and expiry- Available in a batch file or real-time (RTAU) request- Best for cards from issuers that don’t support tokens, and cards you haven’t tokenized yet
Network Tokenization
- Updates a network token tied to your business and the customer’s card- Tokenize once, then fetch a cryptogram for each authorization- Best for ongoing card-on-file and recurring payments where the issuer supports tokens
- Batch Account Updater API Overview
- Real-Time Account Updater API Overview
- Network Tokenization API Overview
Only Tokenize With Updated Credentials
Pagos Network Tokenization only succeeds when the card details you send are current. Before you tokenize an existing vault, run it through Pagos Account Updater first so you’re not provisioning against expired or replaced cards. When a tokenize request fails, consider the following strategy:1
Retry once or twice with better data
Depending on the error, you can update the input and retry the card, or consider including CVV2 and billing address if you hadn’t already.
2
Stop retrying on the same PAN
Repeated failures on one card look like card testing to issuers and the networks. There’s no published attempt threshold, so keep it to a couple of retries.
3
Get the current credentials from Pagos Real-Time Account Updater
Send the card to Pagos Real-Time Account Updater, then tokenize again with the details it returns.
They Don’t Share Capacity
Account Updater and Network Tokenization run on separate systems, both at Pagos and at the networks. A large batch Account Updater job won’t slow down token provisioning or cryptogram requests, and heavy tokenization traffic won’t delay your credential updates. That separation means each service has its own limits and its own way of handling load:Network Tokenization and Real-Time Account Updater
Pagos Network Tokenization and Real-Time Account Updater are real-time request and response (nothing is queued). If your request hits a rate limit, Pagos Network Tokenization returns
400 NetworkRateLimit and Real-Time Account Updater returns 429 concurrentLimitExceeded. Wait at least one second, then retry with exponential backoff.Batch Account Updater
Batch Account Updater accepts files up to a combined 50 MB, and returns an HTTP
Batch Account Updater results arrive as each network responds. You get a webhook when each network finishes, then a final webhook when the whole batch is complete. Visa and Mastercard generally respond within 24 hours, while Amex and Discover take up to five days.
413 if a file exceeds that. We split each file across the networks for you. There’s no limit on how many batches you can submit, and each one is tracked as its own job.Batch Account Updater results arrive as each network responds. You get a webhook when each network finishes, then a final webhook when the whole batch is complete. Visa and Mastercard generally respond within 24 hours, while Amex and Discover take up to five days.
Enroll in Each Service Separately
Because Account Updater and Network Tokenization are separate systems, each one has its own merchant registration. Being enrolled in one doesn’t enroll you in the other, so submit both registrations if you plan to use both. To avoid issues, check these details before you submit your registration:- Amex SE numbers - You must have an Amex Direct contract to request account updates and network tokens for Amex cards. OptBlue SE numbers aren’t eligible; if your Amex SE number is shorter or longer than ten digits, then it’s likely an Amex OptBlue SE number. Amex may also ask for your top-level MAP or CAP SE number instead of a location-level one.
- Non-US merchants - Some networks require a manual merchant ID (MID) registration for merchants based outside the US, which takes longer. Include the merchant’s country on the form so we can start right away.