Bank Identification Number (BIN)
A Bank Identification Number (BIN) consists of the first 6 to 8 digits of a payment card number. These digits uniquely identify the institution that issued the card. BINs are used by merchants, payment processors, and financial institutions to verify and route transactions correctly. Learn more about BIN numbers →
When you make a purchase online or in-store, the BIN is the first piece of data that gets processed. It tells the payment system which bank issued the card, what type of card it is (credit, debit, or prepaid), and which card network it belongs to (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.).
Issuer Identification Number (IIN)
The term Issuer Identification Number (IIN) is the official designation defined by the ISO/IEC 7812 international standard. While "BIN" remains more commonly used in everyday industry language, IIN is the technically correct modern terminology. Both terms refer to the same set of leading digits on a payment card. Try our IIN Lookup tool →
What Information Does a BIN Reveal?
- Card Network — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay, etc.
- Issuing Bank — The financial institution that issued the card.
- Card Type — Credit, debit, or prepaid.
- Card Level — Classic, Gold, Platinum, Signature, Business, Corporate, etc.
- Country of Issue — The country where the card was issued.
- Currency — The default currency associated with the card account.
Common Uses of BIN Lookup
BIN checking is widely used in e-commerce, fraud prevention, payment processing, and financial analysis. Merchants use BIN data to validate transactions, detect potentially fraudulent activity, and ensure proper payment routing. It is also valuable for understanding customer demographics and optimising payment acceptance rates across different geographies.
Payment processors and gateways rely on BIN data to apply the correct interchange rates and determine whether a transaction qualifies for premium processing. Fraud teams use card number lookups to flag mismatches between a card's country of issue and the customer's billing or shipping address.