cas log 170 to the decline database 165 both the decline database 165 and the cas log 170 may provide relevant information to the invention in the compilation of limits reports and the analysis thereof an approval rate utility 185 may include any hardware and or software suitably configured to receive and process data from a limits processor 140 an approval rate utility 185 may request data from any number of databases either directly or through a limits processor 140 in order to calculate expected approval rates for monthly and transaction limits for example an approval rate utility 185 may reside as a software component within a limits processor 140 or may reside as a separate entity comprising any number of hardware and or software components the hardware and software components of a cas 125 are known in the art as they are employed by various credit line providers in order to perform payment authorizations and processing of purchase transactions for simplicity cas 125 is described as including a credit authorization processor 160 for processing payment requests from a payment system 175 a decline database 165 for storing information relating to a card member 39 s 100 declined credit transactions.