Bank Identification Number (BIN)
The first 6-8 digits of a card number that identify the issuing bank.
What is Bank Identification Number (BIN)?
A Bank Identification Number (BIN), also called Issuer Identification Number (IIN), is the first 6-8 digits of a payment card number. The BIN identifies the card-issuing institution, card brand (Visa, Mastercard), card type (credit, debit, prepaid), and card level (classic, platinum, corporate). Merchants and processors use BIN data to route transactions, assess risk, and determine applicable interchange rates before processing.
Why It Matters
BIN data enables intelligent transaction routing and risk management. Knowing a card is corporate vs consumer, or domestic vs international, helps predict interchange costs and fraud risk. Some merchants use BIN lookups to apply surcharges only to credit cards, or to identify potentially high-risk card types.
Related Terms
Interchange Fee
The fee paid by the merchant's bank to the cardholder's bank on every card transaction.
Card Scheme
A payment network that facilitates card transactions between issuers and acquirers.
Merchant Category Code (MCC)
A four-digit code classifying businesses by the type of goods or services they provide.
Frequently Asked Questions
BIN databases are available from payment networks, specialized data providers, or built into many payment gateways. Some lookups are free; comprehensive databases are subscription-based.
No, BIN only identifies the issuer and card type. Fraud detection requires additional signals like AVS, CVV, velocity checks, and behavioral analysis.
Card networks expanded BINs to 8 digits in 2022 to accommodate the growing number of card products and issuers. Most legacy systems still work with 6-digit BINs.
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