How to determine a bank by card number: what 16 digits conceal

Is it possible to determine the issuing bank by the card number, where to quickly go through this identification and what else can be found out using the bank card number - a rough outline of this article. Let's start with the “secrets” that the room contains.

Is it always 16?

Before deciding to determine which bank the card belongs to by its number, the reader probably paid attention to the last one. All card holders are accustomed to the fact that it is usually sixteen-digit - four groups of four symbols. However, the earliest issues contained a 13-digit number - the first group was distinguished by four digits, and the rest included three.

Cards with a number of 19 characters are also issued. Usually they duplicate 16-digit ones to some extent, since they come out within the framework of a specific subroutine.

What is “hidden” in the card number?

Determining a bank using a bank card number is not the limit of possibilities. All 16 digits carry certain information.

The first digit indicates membership in a specific global payment system:

• 4 - "Visa";
• 5 - “Master Card”, “Maestro”;
• 3 - "American Express".

The second to fourth digits are the number of the credit institution that issued (issue - issue of bank cards) this product.

Fifth-sixth - additional identifier of the banking institution.

These six characters are the BIN, which tells you how to determine which bank the card is by number.

Seventh-eighth - the number of the program within which this product was released for the bank.

Nine-fifteen is the immediate number of this card.

The sixteenth number is very interesting. It is the total number of mathematical manipulations over the seven-digit number from the previous paragraph. By what formula or algorithm they are carried out is known only to specialists directly involved in this stage of production.

What is BIN?

Before identifying a bank by card number, you need to familiarize yourself with the concept of “BIN”. As already mentioned, this is the first six symbols.

BIN is the identification number of a specific bank (Bank Identification Number). It is used to identify a bank or other credit organization in processing, clearing or authorization. Defines the type of payment system - a service for transferring electronic money, which has a set of technical, hardware and software rules for transferring funds from one party to another. The most well-known international systems are: “Master Card”, “American Express”, “Visa”.

The number format is regulated by the standards issued by the Society for Worldwide Financial Telecommunications between Banking Organizations (SWIFT) and the Russian GOST. However, the principle by which BINs are distributed is closed to the public; it is available only to direct members of this banking system.

How to identify a bank by BIN

Most often, they try to find out the name of the issuing bank in cases where only the addressee’s card number is known, and this additional information was needed to transfer funds to him. Sometimes this is also necessary in order to find out whether a given product belongs to a domestic or foreign bank.

How to determine a bank by card number? Find the Binlist or BIN Database website through a search engine and enter the first six digits. Information will appear about the payment system, the country where the product was issued, the issuing bank and its contact information (website, hotline), the type of card - debit or credit, as well as its status - regular (classic), gold or platinum.

Before the BIN Database will identify the BIN, you need to “assemble” a simple mosaic to the right of the number entry window - confirm that you are not a robot. By the way, although both sites are in English, their interface is quite clear and accessible to those who do not speak this language.

Common BINs in the Russian Federation

We have already discussed how to determine a bank by card number via the Internet. This can also be done using this table, which contains the identification numbers of most well-known banks in the Russian Federation.

Classic, gold and platinum

During the process dedicated to how to determine the bank by card number, information about the status of the card should have appeared - classic, gold or platinum. It is necessary to understand these categories as well.

Most users choose or already receive classic cards by default. Their functionality is very wide:

• international service - service abroad using the so-called slip - without a request to the “home” bank;
• the ability to perform financial transactions online;
• “equipment” with a chip - for secure payments in terminals, and a code - for online purchases;
• a free report is provided on the card;
• You can enter into an affiliate program with Aeroflot airline.

Gold and platinum cards, first of all, differ in the size of the annual service price. For example, for Master Card owners it can reach up to seven thousand rubles (some banks, however, also provide free annual service). For Visa holders - from 1,500 rubles for a gold card and up to 7,000 rubles for a platinum card. Servicing "Infinity Visa" reaches 30,000 rubles per year.

However, these cards, in addition to emphasizing the status of the holder, also have a number of other advantages, for example, for a “Visa”:

• gold - emergency support in case of loss (blocking, urgent reissue), legal and medical support, bonuses upon payment, concierge system - reserve of free tables in restaurants, newsletters about new privileges;
• platinum - in addition to the benefits of gold, there is free provision of “Purchase Protection” and “Warranty Extension”, concierge - calling a taxi or organizing car rental;
• infinity - free travel insurance for the owner and his family, concierge - selection of household staff, assistance in purchases, organization of repair work.