Hierarchically applied rules engine ("hare")

This invention describes a computer system that processes electronic transactions, like credit card payments, by applying a set of rules. Different people or organizations involved in a transaction, such as banks or cardholders, can define and change these rules, along with specific conditions and values for those conditions. The system ensures that if multiple parties set rules for the same thing, their authority is respected through a defined hierarchy. The claims specifically focus on a system that receives transaction requests from a banking association network.