Redemption network with transaction sequencer

1. A transaction sequencer of a redemption network, comprising: a processor;

a non-transitory memory; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed by the processor causes the transaction sequencer to:

receive a payment transaction message comprising information about a first purchase item, wherein the payment transaction message was created by a point-of-sale (POS) terminal after a filtering step performed by the point-of-sale terminal that determined that the first purchase item is associated with a master approved item list,

search a plurality of different approved product lists using the information about the first purchase item, wherein the plurality of different approved product lists comprise a first approved product list and a second approved product list, wherein the first approved product list is associated with a first payment program and the second approved product list is associated with a second payment program and all the items in the first approved product list and the second approved product list are identified in the master approved item list,

create a first transaction based on finding the first purchase item identified in both the first approved product list and in the second approved product list, wherein the first transaction requests payment from a first payment account associated with the first approved product list based on evaluating a rule defined by a payment entity,

transmit the first transaction to a first transaction processing system, wherein the first transaction request comprises only products identified on the first approved product list and wherein the transaction sequencer's transmission of the first transaction request comprising only products identified on the first approved product list increases the redemption network's control of data,

receive a first response from the first transaction processing system, bundle the first response in a unified response, wherein the unified response comprises a response from another transaction processing system, and transmit the unified response to the point-of-sale terminal.

2. The transaction sequencer of claim 1 , wherein the payment transaction message further comprises information about a second purchase item, wherein the payment transaction message was created by the point-of-sale terminal after a filtering step performed by the point-of-sale terminal determined assured that the second purchase item is associated with the master approved item list, wherein the application further causes the transaction sequencer to:

create a second transaction based on finding the second purchase item in at least one of the plurality of different product lists, transmit the second transaction to a second transaction processing system,

receive a second response to the second transaction processing system, and bundle the second response in the unified response.

3. The transaction sequencer of claim 2 , wherein the first transaction processing system and the second transaction processing system are the same transaction processing system.

4. The transaction sequencer of claim 1 , wherein the payment transaction message identifies the payment entity, wherein the payment entity is associated with the first approved product list and with the second approved product list.

5. The transaction sequencer of claim 1 , wherein the first product list comprises one of a food stamp approved product list, a flexible spending account (FSA) approved product list, a wellness program approved product list, or a women, infants, and children (WIC) approved product list.

6. The transaction sequencer of claim 1 , wherein the payment transaction message is received from the point-of-sale terminal.

7. A method of payment transaction handling performed by a transaction sequencer of a redemption network having a processor and a non-transitory computer readable memory, the processor executing an application stored on the non-transitory computer readable memory which cause the transaction sequencer to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the transaction sequencer, a first transaction message comprising identification of a first purchase item, wherein the first purchase item is identified by a point-of-sale terminal of a plurality of point-of-sale terminals in a master approved product list propagated to the plurality of point-of-sale terminals;

searching, by the transaction sequencer, a first approved product list and a second approved product list for the first purchase item, where the first approved product list is associated with a first payment program and the second approved product list is associated with a second payment program and all the items in the first approved product list and the second approved product list are identified in the master approved product list and where the first approved product list is different from the second approved product list;

when the first approved product list and the second product list comprise the first purchase item;

creating, by the transaction sequencer, a payment transaction for the first purchase item based on evaluating a rule defined by a payment entity;

receiving, by the transaction sequencer, a second transaction message comprising identification of a second purchase item, wherein the second purchase item is identified in the master approved product list;

searching, by the transaction sequencer, the first approved product list and the second approved product list for the second purchase item, where the first approved product list is associated with the first payment program and the second approved product list is associated with the second payment program and all the items in the second approved product list are identified in the master approved product list, and where the first approved product list is different from the second approved product list, and

when the first approved product list and the second approved product list comprise the second purchase item;

creating, by the transaction sequencer, a payment transaction for the second purchase item based on evaluating a rule defined by a payment entity;

transmitting, by the transaction sequencer, the payment transaction for the first purchase item to a first transaction processing system, wherein payment transaction for the first purchase item comprises only products identified on the first approved product list;

transmitting, by the transaction sequencer, the payment transaction for the second purchase item to a second transaction processing system, wherein the payment transaction for the second purchase item comprises only products identified on the second approved product list, and

wherein the transaction sequencer's transmission of the payment transaction for the first purchase item to a first transaction processing system and the payment transaction for the second purchase item to the second transaction processing system increases the redemption network's control of data by restricting data between the first transaction processing system and the second transaction processing system.

8. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 7 , wherein the first payment plan is identified by a bank identification number (BIN) in the first transaction message.

9. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 7 , wherein the first transaction message comprises identification of a third purchase item, wherein the third item is identified in the master approved product list, further comprising:

searching, by the transaction sequencer, the first approved product list, the second approved product list, and a third approved product list for the third purchase item, where the third approved product list is associated with the first payment program identified in the first transaction message and all the items in the third approved product list are identified in the master approved product list; and

when the first approved product list, the second approved product list, and the third approved product list comprise the third purchase item, completing, by the transaction sequencer, a payment transaction for the third purchase item based on evaluating a rule defined by the payment entity.

10. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 9 , wherein completing the payment transaction for the first purchase item comprises creating, by the transaction sequencer, a first ISO 8583 transaction and transmitting, by the transaction sequencer, the first ISO 8583 transaction to a first transaction processing system and wherein completing the payment transaction for the third purchase item comprises creating, by the transaction sequencer, a second ISO 8583 transaction and transmitting, by the transaction sequencer, the second ISO 8583 transaction to a second transaction processing system.

11. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 10 , wherein the first transaction processing system is the same as the second transaction processing system.

12. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 9 , wherein completing the payment transaction for the first purchase item and completing the payment transaction for the third purchase item comprising stitching together, by the transaction sequencer, a first transaction response associated with the payment transaction for the first purchase item with a second transaction response associated with the payment transaction for the third purchase item.

13. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 7 , wherein the first approved product list is one of a food stamp approved product list, a flexible spending account (FSA) approved product list, a wellness program approved product list, or a women, infants, and children (WIC) approved product list.

14. The method of payment transaction handling of claim 7 , wherein the first transaction message comprises universal product code (UPC) information, price information, quantity information about the first purchase item.