Abstract: A system and method for issuing and managing a plurality of credit cards are provided. The system and method enables a merchant to sign up customers for their proprietary, e.g., merchant/house, credit card without credit risk to the merchant and then allowing the customers to utilize the proprietary account without carrying the merchant's credit card. The method includes the steps of verifying a first credit card account for an amount of a transaction; retrieving a first customer record from a database using information from the first credit card account; determining if the customer qualifies for a second credit card account; issuing the second credit card account to the customer if the customer qualifies; and charging the amount to the second credit card account, wherein if the customer does not qualify for the second credit card account, charging the amount of the transaction to the first credit card account.