Bank Identification Number (BIN)

A Bank Identification Number (BIN) (also known as an Issuer Identification Number or IIN) makes up the first four to eight digits of a credit card, debit card, or charge card number.

The BIN specifically identifies the financial institution that issued the card to the cardholder. It is used during transaction authorization to route the transaction to the correct issuing bank and to determine the card type (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, credit vs. debit, corporate vs. consumer).