What is a BIN on a payment card?
A BIN (Bank Identification Number) is the first six or eight digits of a payment card number. It identifies the bank or institution that issued the card. Card networks use the BIN to send each authorization to the right issuer, and PSPs use it to learn the card brand, country and type.
In detail
A BIN (Bank Identification Number) is the first six or eight digits of a payment card number. It identifies the bank or institution that issued the card, and through BIN tables it also reveals the card brand, the issuing country, the funding type (debit, credit or prepaid) and whether the card is a consumer or commercial product.
Who uses the BIN?
- Card networks use it to send each authorization to the right issuer.
- PSPs and gateways use it to choose an acquirer, trigger 3-D Secure and apply risk rules.
- Acquirers use it to qualify interchange and scheme fees.
Since 2022, many new cards carry an eight-digit BIN instead of six digits, so BIN tables and systems must handle both lengths. A BIN on its own does not identify a cardholder, so it can be stored and analyzed. The full card number, the PAN, is protected cardholder data. Read the full explanation in What Is a BIN?, and see how BIN data feeds payment routing decisions.