BIN
Bank Identification Number
BIN (Bank Identification Number) is the first 6 to 8 digits of a bank card number, used to identify the issuing bank, country, payment network, and card type.
What is BIN (Bank Identification Number)?
A BIN is the leading digits of a card number that, under the ISO/IEC 7812 standard, are assigned to a specific issuer. Usually the first 6 digits are used, while some schemes already apply 8-digit ranges.
## How it works
Based on the BIN, the payment network and processor determine which bank issued the card, in which country, which scheme it belongs to (Visa, Mastercard, and others), and whether it is debit or credit, prepaid or corporate. This data is used to route the transaction, calculate the interchange fee, and make 3DS decisions.
## Where it is used
In anti-fraud and scoring: checking whether the BIN country matches the IP and billing address, and identifying ranges with high decline rates. In payment gateways: smart routing, acquirer selection, and MDR calculation. In KYC flows and when filtering cards from restricted jurisdictions.
## What it affects
The approval rate depends directly on the issuer: some banks decline payments more often due to limits, geo mismatches, or MCC-based risk. That is why the geo of cards in an offer and traffic quality show up in decline rates for specific BIN ranges.
## Common mistakes
Treating the BIN as a guarantee of the card's country: a card may be issued in one country and used in another. Relying on outdated BIN databases: ranges move between issuers and get updated. Storing the full card number for analysis instead of only the first digits, which goes against PCI DSS requirements.
## What matters in practice
FAQ
How many digits are in a BIN?
Classically, a BIN is the first 6 digits of the card number. Some schemes use 8 digits for certain ranges, so modern databases and processors often store the BIN as an 8-digit identifier.
Can you identify the cardholder by the BIN?
No, the BIN only indicates the issuer, country, scheme, and card type. The cardholder's personal data cannot be determined from the BIN, and using the BIN to look it up is not allowed.
Why does the approval rate differ across BINs?
Issuers apply different authorization rules, limits, and anti-fraud systems. As a result, the same transaction may be approved on a card from one bank and declined on a card from another.