Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Card-on-file (COF) merchants that keep your card numbers on file for recurring payments may include phone companies, cable services, utilities, music subscriptions, magazine subscriptions, gym memberships, insurance companies, recurring charitable donations and more.
Automatic payments will be declined and merchants may charge a late fee.
If you have recurring payments or a cards-on-file set up with a merchant(s), if account changes are made to your account—for example, a debit or credit account number has been changed or an expiration date has been updated—you may forget to advise merchant(s) about the changed account information, which could cause recurring payments to be declined. The Mastercard ABU Service allows the updated information to be provided to participating merchants on your behalf resulting in fewer declines. The service provides a convenience to you so you do not have to contact each merchant with your updated card information.
Yes. You can request to opt-out of this service by calling 1.800.205.3464, Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM ET.
The Mastercard ABU service is required by Mastercard for all consumer and business credit and debit cards.
The benefits for the Mastercard Automatic Billing Updater Service are:
- Reduction in "card not present" declines
- Helps to ensure on-time bill payment
- Prevents late fees and service disruption
- Provides you with better customer service
No. Participation in this service is at each merchant’s discretion.
The Mastercard ABU Service will begin on March 6, 2018.
No. The Mastercard ABU Service is only available at participating merchants. Each merchant can choose the frequency at which they check for updated payment information. To avoid late payments and penalties, you will need to check with your merchant to ensure their card information has been updated.
