Payment card number
A bank card number is the primary account number found on credit cards and bank cards. It has a certain amount of internal structure and shares a common numbering scheme. Credit card numbers are a special case of ISO/IEC 7812 bank card numbers.
An ISO/IEC 7812 number contains a single-digit Major Industry Identifier (MII), a six-digit Issuer Identification Number (IIN), an account number, and a single digit check sum calculated using the Luhn algorithm. The MII is considered to be part of the IIN.
The term "Issuer Identification Number" (IIN) replaces the previously used "Bank Identification Number" (BIN). See ISO/IEC 7812 for more information.
Issuer Identification Number (IIN)
The first six digits of the credit card number are known as the Issuer Identification Number (IIN). These identify the institution that issued the card to the card holder. The rest of the number is allocated by the issuer. Cards are issued by the issuer through an issuing network. The card number's length is its number of digits. Many credit card issuers print the first four digits of the IIN on their card, just beneath where the number is embossed, as an added security measure.
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. Each processor has one or more IINs, which it divides into plans by using Group Number and Processor Control Number fields.
The IIN database and membership is managed by the American Bankers Association and is updated monthly. The ABA is responsible for allocating IIN ranges to the issuing networks.
Online merchants may use IIN lookups to help validate transactions. For example, if the credit 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.
IIN ranges allocated to issuing networks
| Issuing Network | IIN Ranges | Active | Length | Validation | Symbol for coverage chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | 34, 37[1][dead link] | Yes | 15[2] | Luhn algorithm | AmEx |
| Bankcard[3] | 5610, 560221-560225 | No | 16 | Luhn algorithm | BC |
| China UnionPay | 622126-622925, 624-626, 6282-6288[4] | Yes | 16-19 | unknown | CUP |
| Diners Club Carte Blanche | 300-305 | Yes | 14 | Luhn algorithm | DC-CB |
| Diners Club enRoute | 2014, 2149 | No | 15 | no validation | DC-eR |
| Diners Club International[5] | 36 | Yes | 14 | Luhn algorithm | DC-Int |
| Diners Club United States & Canada[6] | 54, 55 | Yes | 16 | Luhn algorithm | DC-UC |
| Discover Card[7] | 6011, 622126-622925, 644-649, 65 | Yes | 16 | Luhn algorithm | Disc |
| InstaPayment | 639-637[citation needed] | Yes | 16 | Luhn algorithm | IPI |
| JCB | 3528-3589[4] | Yes | 16 | Luhn algorithm | JCB |
| Laser | 6304, 6706, 6771, 6709 | Yes | 16-19 | unknown | Lasr |
| Maestro | 5018, 5020, 5038, 6304, 6759, 6761, 6763 | Yes | 12-19 | Luhn algorithm | Maes |
| MasterCard | 51-55 | Yes | 16 | Luhn algorithm | MC |
| Solo | 6334, 6767 | Yes | 16, 18, 19 | Luhn algorithm | Solo |
| Switch | 4903, 4905, 4911, 4936, 564182, 633110, 6333, 6759 | Yes | 16, 18, 19 | Luhn algorithm | Swch |
| Visa | 4[1] | Yes | 16[8] | Luhn algorithm | Visa |
| Visa Electron | 4026, 417500, 4508, 4844, 4913, 4917 | Yes | 16 | Luhn algorithm | Visa |
On November 8, 2004, MasterCard and Diner's Club formed an alliance. 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 Diner's Club cards elsewhere. Diner's Club International's Web site makes no reference to old 38 prefix numbers, and they can be presumed reissued under the 55 or 36 IIN prefix. Effective October 16, 2009, Diner's Club cards beginning with 30, 36, 38 or 39 have been processed by Discover Card.[9]
Effective October 1, 2006, Discover began using the entire 65 prefix, not just 650. Also, similar to the Master Card/Diner's agreement, China Union Pay cards are now treated as Discover cards and accepted on the Discover network.
A search on Visa's Web site results in many references to card numbers being 16 digits long. However, searching for references to 13-digit cards will turn up no results. All 13-digit account numbers have since been migrated to 16-digit account numbers. At least two different schemes were devised for this that included appending three digits to the account number, and, in more rare cases, inserting three digits after the twelfth digit of the old 13-digit number.
Switch was re-branded as Maestro in mid-2007.[citation needed]
Other codes
The Card Security Code is typically the last three digits printed on the signature strip on the back of the card. In the case of American Express cards, it can be a four-digit number printed (but not embossed) on the front of the card.
See also
- Bank account
- Routing transit number
- International Bank Account Number
- List of Bank Identification Numbers
External links
References
- ^ a b "Card Security Features" (PDF). American Express. January 2001. Retrieved 2006-04-05.[dead link] Cite error: The named reference "GenCardFeatures" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "American Express Fraud Prevention Handbook" (PDF). p. 13. Retrieved 2006-04-05.
- ^ "Bankcard Association of Australia". Retrieved 2006-04-05.
- ^ a b "Discover Network IIN Range Update, 9.2" (PDF). September 2009.
- ^ "MasterCard Diner's Club Alliance". Retrieved 2006-04-05.
- ^ "Diner's Club - Fraud Management". Retrieved 2007-01-26.
- ^ "Discover Network - IIN Range Update, 8.2" (PDF). September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
- ^ "What To Do If Compromised: Visa Fraud Control and Investigations Procedures" (PDF). December 2008. p. 36. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
- ^ "Discover Network - IIN Range Update, 9.1" (PDF). October 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-28.