Methods and systems for managing merchant screening

A method and system for processing a financial transaction using a payment card through a third-party interchange network is provided. The financial transaction is initiated by a cardholder at a merchant location. The method includes storing a list of private label participating merchants, receiving an authorization request for the transaction involving the payment card wherein the authorization request includes a merchant location identifier for the merchant location where the transaction occurred, performing a merchant screening process on the transaction including validating the transaction as originating at a private label participating merchant location, manipulating at the interchange network the authorization request to include a private label identifier when the transaction is determined to have originated at one of the participating merchants, and transmitting the manipulated authorization request with the private label identifier to an issuer of the payment card for processing as a private label transaction.