What is a BIN card and how does it work?

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BIN (Bank Identification Number) is the first 6 digits of the bank card number. These digits are used to identify the card issuer (bank or financial institution), as well as to determine the card type (credit, debit, prepaid) and payment system (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.).

For example:

• If the card number starts with 4, it is a Visa card.
• If the card number starts with 5, it is a MasterCard.

BIN is part of the ISO/IEC 7812 standard, which regulates the format of bank card numbers.

How does BIN work?​

BIN plays a key role in the payment processing process. Here's how it works:

1. Identifying the Issuer
When a customer makes a transaction, the terminal or payment processing system reads the first 6 digits of the card number (BIN). Based on these digits, the system determines:

• Which bank issued the card?
• What payment system does the card belong to?
• The country where the card was issued.

2. Determining the card type
BIN also helps to determine the card type:

• Credit or debit.
• Corporate, personal or prepaid.
• Card level (e.g. Visa Classic, Visa Gold, MasterCard Platinum).

3. Transaction Routing
Based on the BIN, the system determines where to route the transaction authorization request. For example:

• If the BIN belongs to a US bank, the request will be sent to the appropriate processing center.
• If the BIN belongs to a Russian bank, the request will be sent through a local payment system.

4. BIN security check
is used to verify the authenticity of the card. For example:

• If the BIN does not match a known bank or payment system, the transaction may be declined.
• BIN also helps to identify fraud (for example, if a card with a BIN of a Russian bank is used in another country without explanation).

BIN structure​

The first 6 digits of the card number contain the following information:

1. First digit: Identifies the payment system.
   • 4 — Visa.
   • 5 — MasterCard.
   • 3 — American Express, Diners Club, JCB.
   • 6 — Discover, China UnionPay.
2. The next 5 digits: Identify the issuing bank, the region where the card was issued, and other parameters.

Example:

• BIN 411111:
  • Payment system: Visa.
  • Issuing Bank: Test Bank (used for testing).

Why do you need BIN?​

1. For merchants (sellers):
   • BIN helps merchants determine whether to accept a card for payment. For example, some stores may limit the acceptance of cards from certain banks or countries.
2. For payment systems:
   • BIN is used to route transactions between banks and processing centers.
3. For safety:
   • BIN helps identify suspicious transactions. For example, if BIN indicates a card from Russia, but the transaction takes place in the US, this may be a sign of fraud.
4. For analytics:
   • Companies use BIN to analyze consumer behavior. For example, they can determine which banks customers use most often.

Where can I find information about BIN?​

There are online databases and services that allow you to find out information about BIN. For example:

• binlist.net
• bincheck.io

These services provide data on:

• Payment system.
• The issuing bank.
• Type of card.
• Country of manufacture.

Example of using BIN​

Let's say you have a card with number 411111******1111. Let's see what you can find out from BIN:

1. First 6 digits: 411111.
2. Information:
   • Payment system: Visa.
   • Issuing Bank: Test Bank (used for testing).
   • Country: USA.
   • Card type: Credit.

Important points​

1. Privacy:
   • BIN itself is not confidential information, as it is the same for all cards of the same bank and type.
2. Safety:
   • Carders can use the BIN for phishing or creating counterfeit cards. Therefore, it is important to protect the full card number.
3. Changes in the standard:
   • Some payment systems (for example, MasterCard) have started using 8-digit BINs instead of 6-digit ones to increase the number of unique combinations.

Conclusion​

BIN is an important tool in the payment ecosystem that helps identify a card, route transactions, and ensure security. It is used by banks, payment systems, merchants, and other financial market participants. Understanding how BIN works will help you better understand payment processing processes and improve security when working with bank cards.

If you have additional questions about BIN or its application, please ask!