Portable account number for consumer payment account

1. An apparatus for processing a transaction, comprising:

an electronic processor programmed to execute a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to process the transaction by:

receiving, from a point of sale terminal, an authorization request message for the transaction comprising an account identifier that identifies an account used to conduct the transaction, the account identifier not including information identifying a first issuer for the account, and an issuer identifier data string separate from the account identifier that identifies the first issuer for the account, wherein the account identifier is extracted, by the point of sale terminal, from a first data field of a payment device associated with the account that does not store the issuer identifier data string, and wherein the issuer identifier data string is extracted, by the point of sale terminal, from a second separate data field of the payment device, after the payment device interacts with the point of sale terminal;

determining the first issuer for the account based on the issuer identifier data string;

routing the authorization request message to the first issuer using the issuer identifier data string;

receiving from the first issuer for the account an authorization response message containing a decision from the first issuer whether to approve or deny the transaction; and

forwarding the authorization response message to the point of sale terminal, wherein the account used to conduct the transaction is later identified with a second issuer different from the first issuer and used to conduct a second transaction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the account identifier is a payment account identifier comprising a string of numeric or alphanumeric data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the string of numeric or alphanumeric data corresponds to a payment account number or payment device identifier associated with a credit card, debit card, or smart card.

4. A method for processing a transaction, comprising:

receiving, by a server computer from a point of sale terminal, an authorization request message for the transaction comprising an account identifier that identifies an account used to conduct the transaction, the account identifier not including information identifying a first issuer for the account, and an issuer identifier data string separate from the account identifier that identifies the first issuer for the account, wherein the account identifier is extracted, by the point of sale terminal, from a first data field of a payment device associated with the account that does not store the issuer identifier data string, and wherein the issuer identifier data string is extracted, by the point of sale terminal, from a second separate data field of the payment device, after the payment device interacts with the point of sale terminal;

determining, by the server computer, based on the issuer identifier data, the first issuer for the account;

routing, by the server computer, the authorization request message to the first issuer using the issuer identifier data string;

receiving, by the server computer, from the first issuer for the account, an authorization response message containing a decision from the issuer whether to approve or deny the transaction; and

forwarding the authorization response message to the point of sale terminal, wherein the account used to conduct the transaction is later identified with a second issuer different from the first issuer and used to conduct a second transaction.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account identifier is a string of numeric or alphanumeric data.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the string of numeric or alphanumeric data corresponds to an account number or payment device identifier associated with a credit card, debit card, or smart card.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account identifier and the issuer identifier data string are encoded in a magnetic stripe of the payment device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account identifier and issuer identifier data string are encoded in an embedded chip of the payment device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the account identifier is encoded in a first track of the magnetic stripe and the issuer identifier data string is encoded in a second data track of the magnetic stripe.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the account identifier is encoded in a first memory location of the embedded chip and the issuer identifier data string is encoded in a second memory location of the embedded chip.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the account identifier is encoded in a first memory location of an embedded chip of the payment device and the issuer identifier data string is encoded in a second memory location of the embedded chip of the payment device.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the authorization request message is generated by a point of sale terminal, wherein the point of sale terminal reads the first data field to determine the account identifier, and wherein the point of sale terminal reads the second data field to determine the issuer identifier data string.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the account identifier is not used to route the authorization request message to the issuer.

14. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

receiving, by the apparatus, a second authorization request message for the second transaction comprising the account identifier and a second issuer identifier data string associated with the second issuer, wherein the second issuer identifier data string is separate from the account identifier and different from the first issuer identifier data string;

determining, by the apparatus, based on the second issuer identifier data string, the second issuer;

providing, by the apparatus, the second authorization request message to the second issuer, wherein the second issuer identifier data string is used to route the second authorization request message; and

receiving, by the server computer, from the second issuer, a second authorization response message containing a decision from the second issuer whether to approve or deny the second transaction.