Credit Card Updater

Credit Card Updater helps you avoid disruptions in recurring giving by keeping your supporters' credit card info — such as card numbers and expiration dates — up to date. It's available for all Blackbaud Merchant Services accounts, and reports can be accessed through the database view.

Credit Card Updater looks for updated card info:

  • In real time when cardholders submit payments. For example, if a cardholder uses an updated credit card number to pay for a donation, Credit Card Updater automatically updates the card if it's stored for a constituent or gift.

  • Weekly for cards stored for recurring payments. For example, if an expired credit card is on file for a recurring gift, Credit Card Updater automatically updates the stored card info during its weekly scan if a new expiration date is available.

When new card info is available, Credit Card Updater updates cards on:

  • Recurring gifts, pledges, and matching gift pledges that are marked as Active or Held

  • Gifts in uncommitted non-recurring gift batches

  • Gifts in (committed or uncommitted) recurring gift batches

  • The Bio 2 or Org 2 tabs of constituent records in the database view

Note: Reporting enhancements are coming soon! Existing reports will continue to be available mid-month. Also, failed card updates temporarily won't appear in reports or queries.

To view a report that displays every constituent with updated credit card info, how the info changed, and which of their gifts use the updated cards, run the Credit Card Updater Report.

  1. In the database view, from Data Health Center, select Update credit cards under Credit Card Updater.

    Note: With recent enhancements to Credit Card Updater, credit cards updates are now automated — you no longer need to manually update them. However, you still need to follow these steps to create the control report.

  2. Select Create control report and choose whether to preview or print the report.

For more information, see Credit Card Updater Report.

You can generate constituent and gift queries based on updated credit cards.

  1. In the database view, from Data Health Center, select Update credit cards under Credit Card Updater.

    Note: With recent enhancements to Credit Card Updater, credit cards updates are now automated — you no longer need to manually update them. However, you still need to follow these steps to create queries.

  2. Select Create output queries.

    Note: The output queries exclude information updated in batches.

To track details about updated credit cards, you can add a custom field to the records of their gifts and constituents. On the record, this custom field — with a category of Credit Card Updater — appears under Custom fields with:

  • A detailed description about the updated information, such as the previous and new credit card numbers or expiration dates.

  • The date when Credit Card Updater ran and returned the update.

Tip: In the database view, custom fields appear as attributes. For more information, see Custom Fields.

  1. In the database view, from Data Health Center, select Update credit cards under Credit Card Updater.

    Note: With recent enhancements to Credit Card Updater, credit cards updates are now automated — you no longer need to manually update them. However, you still need to follow these steps to add custom fields to records.

  2. Select Add attributes to updated records.