Methods and systems for managing transaction card accounts enabled for use with particular categories of providers and/or goods/services

1. A computer-implemented method for processing a payment from a transaction card, the method comprising:

assigning, by a computer, a merchant category code for a plurality of merchants, wherein the plurality of merchants have the same merchant category code when those merchants are classified in the same merchant category;

receiving, from a point-of-sale terminal of a merchant, a transaction request from a cardholder of the transaction card, wherein the transaction request comprises the merchant's merchant category code;

transmitting the transaction request through a card association network to a card issuer for the transaction card;

receiving, by a computer of the card issuer, the transaction request;

identifying, by the computer of the card issuer, the merchant category code;

approving the transaction request if the merchant category code of the transaction request is qualified for the merchant; and

denying the transaction request if the merchant category code of the transaction request is not qualified for the merchant.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the merchant category code identifies a merchant's mode of business.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the merchant category code identifies the merchandise or services sold by a merchant.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the merchant category code is limited for use in transactions having a qualified merchant category code.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of merchants are assigned the same merchant category code.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the merchant category code is assigned to a category of goods or services.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the transaction card is branded by the card issuer.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein an account associated with the transaction card is pre-qualified for transactions associated with the merchant category code.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8 , wherein approving the transaction request further comprises determining whether the merchant category code for the transaction request is the same merchant category code that is pre-qualified for the account.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising posting the payment to a second account of the cardholder if the transaction request is denied.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10 , wherein the second account is a card association branded account of the cardholder.

12. A computer-implemented method for managing credit card accounts, the method comprising:

establishing, using a computer, a pre-qualified category credit card account for a cardholder associated with a credit card,

wherein a plurality of providers associated with a category are allowed to accept payment from the pre-qualified category credit card without requiring each provider to qualify separately,

wherein credit transactions for at least one of a plurality of providers in a pre-defined category is classified according to the type of goods or services that are provided, and

wherein credit transactions are processed exclusively through a card association network to a card issuer;

receiving, using by a computer of the card issuer, credit transaction data from a transaction terminal having a credit card reader through which the credit card of the cardholder is swiped in connection with a credit transaction, the credit transaction data being received by the credit card association network and transmitted to the card issuer;

determining, by the computer of the card issuer, the category of the provider and goods/services to determine whether the credit transaction can be posted on the pre-qualified category credit card account of the cardholder; and

approving, by the computer of the card issuer, the credit transaction and posting the credit transaction to the pre-qualified category credit card account if the credit transaction is classified as the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the credit card is branded with the card issuer's own brand.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the credit transaction data is received from a point of sale (POS) terminal of a merchant.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the credit transaction data is received by the card issuer after processing the credit transaction data through the credit card association network according to pre-defined credit card association processing procedures for credit card association branded transaction cards.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising charging a merchant fee to a merchant that does not exceed merchant fees associated with processing credit card association branded transaction cards.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising denying the credit transaction if the credit transaction falls outside the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising posting the credit transaction to another account of the cardholder with the card issuer based on pre-defined parameters if the credit transaction falls outside the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising posting the credit transaction to a second card association branded account of the cardholder with the card issuer if the credit transaction falls outside the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.