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A payment card number, primary account number (PAN), or simply a card number, is the card identifier found on payment cards, such as credit cards and debit cards, as well as stored-value cards, gift cards and other similar cards. In some situations the card number is referred to as a bank card number. The card number is primarily a card identifier and may not directly identify the bank account number(s) to which the card is/are linked by the issuing entity. The card number prefix identifies the issuer of the card, and the digits that follow are used by the issuing entity to identify the cardholder as a customer and which is then associated by the issuing entity with the customer's designated bank accounts. In the case of stored-value type cards, the association with a particular customer is only made if the prepaid card is reloadable. Card numbers are allocated in accordance with ISO/IEC 7812. The card number is typically embossed on the front of a payment card, and is encoded on the magnetic stripe and chip, but may also be imprinted on the back of the card.
The payment card number differs from the Business Identifier Code (BIC/ISO 9362, a normalized code—also known as Business Identifier Code, Bank International Code or SWIFT code). It also differs from Universal Payment Identification Code, another identifier for a bank account in the United States.
Payment card numbers are composed of 8 to 19 digits, [1] The leading six or eight digits are the issuer identification number (IIN) sometimes referred to as the bank identification number (BIN). [2] : 33 [3] The remaining numbers, except the last digit, are the individual account identification number. The last digit is the Luhn check digit. IINs and PANs have a certain level of internal structure and share a common numbering scheme set by ISO/IEC 7812. The parts of the number are as follows:
The first six or eight digits of a card number (including the initial MII digit) are known as the issuer identification number (IIN). These identify the card issuing institution that issued the card to the card holder. The rest of the number is allocated by the card issuer. The card number's length is its number of digits. Many card issuers print the entire IIN and account number on their card.
In some circumstances, the issuer identification number (IIN) or bank identification number (BIN) may not be licensed directly from the issuing network (such as Mastercard or Visa). Obtaining an IIN/BIN number can be costly, time consuming and demand intensive operational burdens on in-house regulatory and compliance teams. For this reason, some new card programmes may use a 'BIN sponsor', in which case the IIN/BIN number is effectively sub-licensed from a scheme regulated entity. This is known as BIN sponsorship, and is a popular way for financial institutions to fast-track access to market. [6]
In the United States, IINs are also used in NCPDP pharmacy claims to identify processors, and are printed on all pharmacy insurance cards. IINs are the primary routing mechanism for real-time claims.
The ISO Register of Issuer Identification Numbers database is managed by the American Bankers Association. ABA is the Registration Authority for this standard and is responsible for allocating IINs to issuers.
Online merchants may use IIN lookups to help validate transactions. For example, if a card's IIN indicates a bank in one country, while the customer's billing address is in another, the transaction may call for extra scrutiny.
Issuing network | IIN ranges | Active | Length | Validation |
---|---|---|---|---|
American Express | 34, 37 [7] | Yes | 15 [8] | Luhn algorithm |
AfriGo | 56445600 | Yes | 18 | Unknown |
Bankcard [9] | 5610, 560221–560225 | No | 16 | Luhn algorithm |
China T-Union | 31 | Yes | 19 | |
China UnionPay | 62 | Yes | 16–19 [10] | |
Diners Club enRoute | Yes | 15 | No Validation | |
Diners Club International [11] | 30, 36, 38, 39 | Yes | 14–19 [10] | Luhn algorithm |
Diners Club United States & Canada [12] | 55 | Yes | 16 | |
Discover Card | 6011, 644-649, 65 | Yes | 16–19 [10] | |
622126–622925 (China UnionPay co-branded) | Yes | 16–19 [10] | ||
UkrCard | 60400100–60420099 | Yes | 16–19 | |
RuPay | 60, 65, 81, 82, 508 | Yes | 16 | |
353, 356 (RuPay-JCB co-branded) | Yes | 16 | ||
InterPayment | 636 | Yes | 16–19 | |
InstaPayment | 637–639 | Yes | 16 | |
JCB | 3528–3589 | Yes | 16–19 [10] | |
Laser | 6304, 6706, 6771, 6709 | No | 16–19 | |
Maestro UK | 6759, 676770, 676774 [13] | Yes | 12–19 | |
Maestro | 5018, 5020, 5038, 5893, 6304, 6759, 6761, 6762, 6763 | Yes | 12–19 | |
Dankort | 5019 | Yes | 16 | |
4571 (Visa co-branded) [14] | Yes | 16 | ||
Mir | 2200–2204 | Yes | 16–19 | |
BORICA (Bulgarian national payment system) | 2205 | Yes | 16 | |
NPS Pridnestrovie | 6054740–6054744 | No [15] | 16 | |
Mastercard | 2221–2720 [16] | Yes (since 2017) [17] | 16 | |
51–55 [16] | Yes | 16 | ||
Solo | 6334, 6767 | No | 16, 18, 19 | |
Switch | 4903, 4905, 4911, 4936, 564182, 633110, 6333, 6759 | No | 16, 18, 19 | |
Troy | 65 (Discover co-branded [18] ) | Yes | 16 | |
9792 [19] | Yes | 16 | ||
Visa | 4 | Yes | 13, 16, 19 | |
Visa Electron | 4026, 417500, 4508, 4844, 4913, 4917 | Yes | 16 | |
UATP | 1 | Yes | 15 | |
Verve | 506099–506198, 650002–650027, 507865-507964 | Yes | 16, 18, 19 | |
LankaPay | 357111 | Yes | 16 | |
UzCard | 8600, 5614 | Yes | 16 | Unknown |
Humo | 9860 | Yes | 16 | |
GPN | 1946 (BNI cards) | Yes | 16, 18, 19 | Luhn algorithm |
50, 56, 58, 60-63 | Yes | 16, 18, 19 | ||
Napas | 9704 | Yes | 16, 19 | Unknown |
On 8 November 2004, Mastercard and Diners Club formed an alliance. Diners Club cards issued in Canada and the United States start with 54 or 55 and are treated as Mastercards worldwide. International cards use the 36 prefix and are treated as Mastercards in Canada and the United States, but are treated as Diners Club cards elsewhere. Diners Club International's website makes no reference to old 38 prefix numbers, and they can be presumed reissued under the 55 or 36 IIN prefix. Effective 16 October 2009, Diners Club cards beginning with 30, 36, 38 or 39 have been processed by Discover Card. [20]
On 3 November 2014, Mastercard announced that they were introducing a new series of BIN ranges that begin with a “2” (222100–272099). The “2” series BINs will be processed the same as the “51–55” series BINs are today. They became active 14 October 2016.
On 23 July 2014 JSC NSPK was established in the Russian Federation. The joint stock company National System of Payment Cards (NSPK) is the operator of the Mir National Payment System. The main initiatives of NSPK are to create the national payment system infrastructure and to issue a national payment card Mir.
Effective 1 October 2006, Discover began using the entire 65 prefix, not just 650. Also, similar to the Mastercard/Diners agreement, China UnionPay cards are now treated as Discover cards and accepted on the Discover network.
While the vast majority of Visa's account ranges describe 16 digit card numbers there are still a few account ranges (forty as of 11 December 2013) dedicated to 13 digit PANs and several (439 as of 11 Dec. 2013) account ranges where the issuer can mix 13 and 16 digit card numbers. Visa's VPay brand can specify PAN lengths from 13 to 19 digits and so card numbers of more than 16 digits are now being seen.
Switch was re-branded as Maestro in mid-2007. [21] In 2011, UK domestic Maestro (formerly Switch) was aligned with the standard international Maestro proposition with the retention of a few residual country specific rules.
EMV Certification requires acceptance of a 19-digit Visa card (ADVT 6.1.1 Test Case 2) and Discover Card (E2E Test Plan v1.3, Test Case 06).
Bank card numbers issued by Canadian banks also follow a pattern for their systems:
Issuing network | Ranges | Length |
---|---|---|
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Advantage Debit Card | 4506 (Interac and Visa Debit) | 16 digits |
Royal Bank of Canada Client Card | 4519 | 16 digits |
TD Canada Trust Access Card | 4724 (Interac and Visa Debit) | 16 digits |
Scotiabank Scotia Card | 4536 | 16 digits |
BMO ABM Card | 500, 5510 | 16 digits |
HSBC Bank Canada Card | 56 | 16 digits |
Conexus Credit Union Member Card | 629449 | 16 digits |
To reduce the risk of credit card fraud, various techniques are used to prevent the dissemination of bank card numbers. These include:
A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card, is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The card usually consists of the bank's name, a card number, the cardholder's name, and an expiration date, on either the front or the back. Many new cards now have a chip on them, which allows people to use their card by touch (contactless), or by inserting the card and keying in a PIN as with swiping the magnetic stripe. Debit cards are similar to a credit card, but the money for the purchase must be in the cardholder's bank account at the time of the purchase and is immediately transferred directly from that account to the merchant's account to pay for the purchase.
Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale, abbreviated as EFTPOS; is the technical term referring to a type of payment transaction where electronic funds transfers (EFT) are processed at a point of sale (POS) system or payment terminal usually via payment methods such as payment cards. EFTPOS technology was developed during the 1980s.
A smart card (SC), chip card, or integrated circuit card, is a card used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip. Many smart cards include a pattern of metal contacts to electrically connect to the internal chip. Others are contactless, and some are both. Smart cards can provide personal identification, authentication, data storage, and application processing. Applications include identification, financial, public transit, computer security, schools, and healthcare. Smart cards may provide strong security authentication for single sign-on (SSO) within organizations. Numerous nations have deployed smart cards throughout their populations.
A charge card is a type of credit card that enables the cardholder to make purchases which are paid for by the card issuer, to whom the cardholder becomes indebted. The cardholder is obligated to repay the debt to the card issuer in full by the due date, usually on a monthly basis, or be subject to late fees and restrictions on further card use. Charge cards are distinct from credit cards in that credit cards are revolving credit instruments that do not need to be paid in full every month and a balance may be carried over, on which interest is paid. Charge cards are typically issued without spending limits, whereas credit cards usually have a specified credit limit that the cardholder may not exceed. Most charge cards are held by businesses, corporations or executives thereof, and are issued to customers with a good or excellent credit score.
A personal identification number (PIN), PIN code, or sometimes redundantly a PIN number, is a numeric passcode used in the process of authenticating a user accessing a system.
EMV is a payment method based on a technical standard for smart payment cards and for payment terminals and automated teller machines which can accept them. EMV stands for "Europay, Mastercard, and Visa", the three companies that created the standard.
The Luhn algorithm or Luhn formula, also known as the "modulus 10" or "mod 10" algorithm, named after its creator, IBM scientist Hans Peter Luhn, is a simple check digit formula used to validate a variety of identification numbers. It is described in US patent 2950048A, granted on 23 August 1960.
ISO/IEC 7812Identification cards – Identification of issuers is an international standard published jointly by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It specifies "a numbering system for the identification of the card issuers, the format of the issuer identification number (IIN) and the primary account number (PAN)", and procedures for registering IINs. It was first published in 1989.
Mastercard Maestro is a brand of debit cards and prepaid cards owned by Mastercard that was introduced in 1991. Maestro is accepted at around fifteen million point of sale outlets in 93 countries.
Visa Debit is a major brand of debit card issued by Visa in many countries around the world. Numerous banks and financial institutions issue Visa Debit cards to their customers for access to their bank accounts. In many countries the Visa Debit functionality is often incorporated on the same plastic card that allows access to ATM and any domestic networks like EFTPOS or Interac.
ISO/IEC 7813 is an international standard codified by the International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission that defines properties of financial transaction cards, such as ATM or credit cards.
Payment cards are part of a payment system issued by financial institutions, such as a bank, to a customer that enables its owner to access the funds in the customer's designated bank accounts, or through a credit account and make payments by electronic transfer with a payment terminal and access automated teller machines (ATMs). Such cards are known by a variety of names, including bank cards, ATM cards, client cards, key cards or cash cards.
An ATM card is a dedicated payment card card issued by a financial institution which enables a customer to access their financial accounts via its and others' automated teller machines (ATMs) and, in some countries, to make approved point of purchase retail transactions. ATM cards are not credit cards or debit cards, however most credit and debit cards can also act as ATM cards and that is the most common way that banks issue cards since the 2010s.
Contactless payment systems are credit cards and debit cards, key fobs, smart cards, or other devices, including smartphones and other mobile devices, that use radio-frequency identification (RFID) or near-field communication (NFC) for making secure payments. The embedded integrated circuit chip and antenna enable consumers to wave their card, fob, or handheld device over a reader at the point-of-sale terminal. Contactless payments are made in close physical proximity, unlike other types of mobile payments which use broad-area cellular or Wi-Fi networks and do not involve close physical proximity.
A credit card is a payment card, usually issued by a bank, allowing its users to purchase goods or services or withdraw cash on credit. Using the card thus accrues debt that has to be repaid later. Credit cards are one of the most widely used forms of payment across the world.
girocard is an interbank network and debit card service connecting virtually all automated teller machines (ATMs) and banks. It is based on standards and agreements developed by the German Banking Industry Committee.
Debit Mastercard is a brand of debit cards provided by Mastercard. They use the same systems as standard Mastercard credit cards but they do not use a line of credit to the customer, instead relying on funds that the customer has in their bank account.
A card security code is a series of numbers that, in addition to the bank card number, is printed on a credit or debit card. The CSC is used as a security feature for card not present transactions, where a personal identification number (PIN) cannot be manually entered by the cardholder. It was instituted to reduce the incidence of credit card fraud. Unlike the card number, the CSC is deliberately not embossed, so that it is not read when using a mechanical credit card imprinter which will only pick up embossed numbers.
The term digital card can refer to a physical item, such as a memory card on a camera, or, increasingly since 2017, to the digital content hosted as a virtual card or cloud card, as a digital virtual representation of a physical card. They share a common purpose: Identity Management, Credit card, Debit card or driver license. A non-physical digital card, unlike a Magnetic stripe card can emulate (imitate) any kind of card.
E.118 is an international standard that defines the international telecommunication charge card, for use in payphones. It also defines the Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID), which is used in Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs, including SIM cards and eSIMs. The standard was first developed in 1988 by what became the Standardization Sector of the International Telecommunication Union with several revisions having been published since then.
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