# Override For Delete Account
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/payment-account-management/documentation/api-overview/override-delete-account/index.md

Occasionally, issuers may need to stop providing account updates to participating merchants on behalf of the cardholder. Mastercard designates these requests as 'Override for Deletion'. The ABU system will detect any records the issuer identifies as cardholder 'Override for Deletion' and process these records to delete related cardholder information from the database. This prevents further merchant notifications. Additionally, Mastercard will remove all previous references to an account number from the Mastercard database. For example, a card account that is replaced more than once in a 50-month time frame should have additional entries. These additional entries will be deleted.

The [overrideForDeleteAccount](https://developer.mastercard.com/payment-account-management/documentation/api-reference/index.md) API enables a caller to inform ABU of the desire to stop providing account updates to participating merchants on behalf of the cardholder. The ABU system will delete related cardholder information from the database. This prevents further merchant notifications from ABU.

The API validates that only authorized callers can use the `overrideForDeleteAccount` service. If the caller is not authorized to delete the account, then the API responds with an `AUTHORIZATION_FAILED` error. The API will return a `CRYPTOGRAPHY_ERROR` if the encrypted payload cannot be decrypted or if a decryption key has not been configured or is no longer valid.

#### Required Fields {#required-fields}

Accounts may only be permanently deleted from the database using the card number and the recommended fields below

|     API Fields      | Delete the card number permanently from the database |
|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| Reason Code         | OPT OUT                                              |
| ABU Reason Code     | O                                                    |
| Updates ABU         | ✔                                                    |
| Updates Token Vault | ✖                                                    |
| Updates PAR Vault   | ✖                                                    |
| **CARD DATA**       |                                                      |
| Card Number         | **🗹**                                               |

Key: \[✔ = Yes; ✖ = No; **🗹** = Mandatory \]
Note: For Override For Delete Account calls, it will delete the PAN from the ABU database. The PAN will still be available in the Token Vault and the PAR Vault. It is possible to send update account calls and close account calls for the same PAN which was deleted from the ABU database to update the Token Vault and the PAR Vault.

When update account calls for the same PAN is received, which was previously deleted through Override For Delete API, ABU will add the PAN again. If API Consumer wishes not to have same PAN in ABU, they can use MDES Customer Service tools or 0302/R311 (MCC106) for PAR and Token vault updates.

Alternatively, API Consumers can also use Override for Delete call on top of PAM Update Account call, for same PAN to achieve the same behavior.
Note: The `/overrideForDeleteAccount` API response means the API call has been received successfully. It does not provide information on whether the updates have been applied in ABU, MDES Vault, or PAR Vault. Customers should use the `requestStatus` call to get that additional information.