# Standalone Account Updater

The Standalone Account Updater enables you to leverage scheme account updater services to automatically update card details. This helps you:

- Protect recurring revenue.
- Reduce declines.
- Accept more payments, regardless of the payment service provider you used to process the payment.

This feature supports the following schemes:

- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express

For Visa and Mastercard, you can request account updates on demand, independent to payment authorization transaction.

For American Express, the updates happen in batch. We recommend you request card details updates at least 24 hours before you plan to use the card.

> **Information**
>
> To enable the Standalone Account Updater, contact your account manager or [request support](https://dashboard.checkout.com/support/new?topic=case_account_management_and_access&issue=issue_account_changes).

---

## Request an update

To request a card update, call the [Get updated card credentials](https://api-reference.checkout.com//#operation/RetrieveUpdatedCardDetails) endpoint.

You can request an update using either a payment instrument or the full card details.

The API automatically identifies the card scheme and routes the request to the appropriate service.

> **Information**
>
> Your base URL's `{prefix}` value is unique to your account and environment. To learn how to retrieve your base URLs for the sandbox and production environments, see [API endpoints](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/api/api-endpoints.md).

**Production**

`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.checkout.com/account-updater/cards`

**Sandbox**

`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/account-updater/cards`

### Request examples

**Payment instrument**

```json
{
  "source_options": {
    "instrument": {
      "id": "src_wmlfc3zyhqzehihu7giusaaawu"
    }
  }
}
```

**Full card details**

```json
{
  "source_options": {
    "card": {
      "number": "4242424242424242",
      "expiry_month": 10,
      "expiry_year": 2025
    }
  }
}
```

---

## Response examples

The response returns an `account_update_status` field, which specifies the outcome of the update.

### Successful update

**Non-PCI compliant merchants**

```json
{
  "update_status": "CARD_UPDATED",
  "card": {
    "bin": "543642",
    "last4": "4242",
    "expiry_month": 5,
    "expiry_year": 2025,
    "fingerprint": "abc123fingerprint"
  }
}
```

**PCI SAQ D compliant merchants**

```json
{
  "update_status": "CARD_UPDATED",
  "card": {
    "encrypted_card_number": "3nCryp73dFPANv4lu3",
    "expiry_month": 5,
    "expiry_year": 2025,
    "fingerprint": "abc123fingerprint"
  }
}
```

To learn how to decrypt the card number, see [Retrieve FPAN in card updates](https://www.checkout.com/docs/payments/store-and-manage-credentials/update-stored-credentials/real-time-account-updater.md#Retrieve_FPAN_in_card_updates).

If the update is successful, the `account_update_status` field is set to either:

- `CARD_UPDATED` – The card number was updated.
- `CARD_EXPIRY_UPDATED` – The card expiry date was updated.
- `CARD_CLOSED` – The issuer closed the account and has not opened a new one. Contact the cardholder and request alternative card details.

The response also returns the updated card details in the `card` object, which may vary depending on the PCI compliance level.

> **Note**
>
> For Mastercard cards, a successful update can also change the card's brand entirely. For example, an update can change a Mastercard card to a Discover card.

### Failed update

If the update fails, the `account_update_status` field is set to either:

- `update_failed` – The card update failed. The `account_update_failure_code` field provides more details:
  - `CARDHOLDER_OPT_OUT` – The cardholder opted out of the service.
  - `UP_TO_DATE` – There were no changes to the PAN or expiry date.
  - `NON_PARTICIPATING_BIN` – The bank is not participating in the service.
  - `UNKNOWN` – No match for the account number was found.