Patent ID: 8521623

Claim:
A computer method comprising: receiving a card number, at a computer of a card administration system, for a returned payment card associated with a cardholder account of a cardholder, the cardholder account having a current payment card; determining, by the computer, that the card number of the returned payment card is associated with an upgrade card or a replacement card in a card database of the card administration system for use in connection with the cardholder account; setting, by the computer, a “returned” indicator of a data record for the returned payment card in the card database of the card administration system and initiating physical destruction of the returned payment card in response to the card administration system receiving the card number for the returned payment card without delay, and maintaining a status of the current payment card in the card database without change; subsequent to initiating physical destruction of the returned payment card, determining, by the computer, whether updated profile information of the cardholder is received within a predetermined time period; when the updated profile information of the cardholder is determined to be received at the computer of the card administration system within the predetermined time period: updating a profile of the cardholder with the updated profile information; generating, by the computer, data for producing a return-replacement payment card associated with the cardholder account; and causing the return-replacement payment card to be sent to a location based on the updated profile information; and when no updated profile information of the cardholder is determined to be received at the computer of the card administration system within the predetermined time period: closing the cardholder account; updating the data record for the returned payment card in the card database of the card administration system to indicate a closed status; and returning any funds in the cardholder account.