Refunding real-time payment transaction via payment card network messaging and settlement

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a refund amount to a customer account for a payment transaction that occurred using a real-time payment network. In an embodiment, a supplemental payment services computer receives a refund request including a transaction reference and a token concerning a payment transaction between a merchant and a customer, determines that the payment transaction was effected in a real-time payment network, determines an issuer financial institution (FI) computer of an issuer FI maintaining a customer account represented by the token, transmits the refund request to the issuer FI computer, receives a favorable authorization response and transmits the authorization response to an acquirer FI computer associated with the merchant. The supplemental payment services computer also transmits a payment card network funds transfer credit message directing the issuer FI to credit the refund amount to the customer account and transmits a payment card network funds transfer debit message directing the acquirer FI to debit the refund amount from an account of the merchant to the acquirer FI computer. Next, the refund amount from the acquirer FI computer to the issuer FI computer is settled via a payment card account network settlement system computer.