1. A method for sharing transaction data by a switching node within a payment network, said method comprising the steps of: maintaining, by said switching node, a database containing said transaction data from a plurality of entities, wherein said transaction data corresponds to payments made by at least one entity of said plurality of entities using said payment network; maintaining, by said switching node, consent data; filtering said transaction data using said consent data to enable sharing of at least a portion of said transaction data with at least one third party; and interfacing, by said switching node, with said at least one third party via a third party interface module and a network, to share said at least portion of said transaction data.