Enforcing payment card policies using a financial institution agent coupled to a payment processing network. The advisory device intercepts messages directed to an authorization element at an authorizing bank, modifies the intercepted messages in response to a set of financial policy rules, and forwards the intercepted messages to the authorization element. The authorization element responds to any modifications made by the financial institution agent, and issues a grant or a denial of of authorization in response. The financial policy rules include a set of policy limits for use of the payment card, responsive to card usage type, merchant type and location, amount per transaction (or for a selected duration), number of transactions, and combinations thereof Financial policy rules can include side effects, including notifications or two-step authorization (with the cardholder or a monitoring party), transaction records, and combinations thereof.