Merchant category codes in a proxy card transaction

1. A computer-implemented method to transmit category codes to payment instrument issuers in proxy card transactions, comprising:

receiving, using one or more computing devices and from a merchant computing device associated with a merchant, a first payment request to authorize a proxy card transaction, the first payment request identifying a proxy account of a user for payment of the transaction and a merchant category code associated with the merchant;

selecting, using the one or more computer devices, a financial account associated with the proxy account to fund the transaction;

determining, using the one or more computing devices, that a financial account system does not accept the merchant category code provided in the first payment request;

converting, using the one or more computing devices, the merchant category code to an alternate category code in response to a determination that the financial account system does not accept the merchant category code provided in the first payment request, the alternate category code being associated with an alternate category code system,

communicating, using the one or more computing devices, a second payment request to authorize the transaction to the financial account system associated with the selected financial account, the second payment request comprising the alternate category code associated with the merchant;

receiving, using the one or more computing devices, a first authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account; and

communicating, using the one or more computing devices, a second authorization for the transaction to the merchant computing device in response to receiving the first authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the converting step comprises:

establishing, using the one or more computing devices, a database comprising a list of merchant category codes and corresponding alternate category codes that are associated with the list of merchant category codes;

identifying, using the one or more computing devices, the alternate category code associated with the received merchant category code.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the alternate category codes corresponding to the list of merchant category codes are provided by the financial account system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices comprises the financial account system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the merchant category code is standardized code.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the category code is communicated to the financial account system in a separate communication from the second payment request.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-readable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer perform a method to transmit category codes to payment instrument issuers in proxy card transactions, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

computer program instructions to receive, from a merchant computing device associated with a merchant, a first payment request to authorize a proxy card transaction, the first payment request identifying a proxy account of a user for payment of the transaction and a merchant category code associated with the merchant;

computer program instructions to select a financial account associated with the proxy account to fund the transaction;

computer program instructions to determine that a financial account system does not accept the merchant category code provided in the first payment request;

computer program instructions to convert the merchant category code to an alternate category code in response to a determination that the financial account system does not accept the merchant category code provided in the first payment request, the alternate category code being associated with an alternate category code system utilized by the financial account system;

computer program instructions to communicate a second payment request to authorize the transaction to the financial account system associated with the selected financial account, the second payment request comprising the alternate code associated with the merchant;

computer program instructions to receive a first authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account; and

computer program instructions to communicate a second authorization for the transaction to the merchant computing device in response to receiving the first authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the converting step comprises:

computer program instructions to establish a database comprising a list of merchant category codes and corresponding alternate category codes that are associated with the list of merchant category codes;

computer program instructions to identify the alternate category code associated with the received merchant category code.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the alternate category codes corresponding to the list of merchant category codes are provided by the financial account system.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprises the financial account system.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the merchant category code is standardized code.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the category code is communicated to the financial account system in a separate communication from the second payment request.

13. A system to transmit category codes to payment instrument issuers in proxy card transactions, the system comprising:

a storage resource;

a network module; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage resource and the network module, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage resource and that cause the system to:

receive from a merchant computing device associated with a merchant, a first payment request to authorize a proxy card transaction, the first payment request identifying a proxy account of a user for payment of the transaction and a merchant category code associated with the merchant;

select a financial account associated with the proxy account to fund the transaction;

determining that a financial account system does not accept the merchant category code provided in the first payment request;

converting the merchant category code to an alternate category code in response to a determination that the financial account system does not accept the merchant category code provided in the first payment request, the alternate category code being associated with an alternate category code system utilized by the financial account system;

communicate a second payment request to authorize the transaction to the financial account system associated with the selected financial account, the second payment request comprising the alternate category code associated with the merchant; receive a first authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account; and

communicate a second authorization for the transaction to the merchant computing device in response to receiving the first authorization for the transaction from the financial account system to fund the transaction using the selected financial account.

14. The system of claim 13 , the instructions further comprising wherein the converting step comprises:

establishing a database comprising a list of merchant category codes and corresponding alternate category codes that are associated with the list of merchant category codes;

identifying the alternate category code associated with the received merchant category code.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the alternate category codes corresponding to the list of merchant category codes are provided by the financial account system.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the system comprises the financial account system.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the merchant category code is standardized code.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the category code is communicated to the financial account system in a separate communication from the second payment request.