Last Updated: August 31, 2023
2 min read
Key points about: credit card numbers
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Though seemingly random, credit card number sequences can tell you a lot about the card’s use-cases.
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Considering card numbers means understanding what the first number, next set of 5 numbers, following set of 9-12 numbers, and the last number mean.
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The last number validates all of the card’s numbers during transactions.
A credit card number is the long set of digits displayed across the front or back of your plastic or metal credit card. It’s typically 16 digits in length, often appearing in sets of four, and it’s used to identify both the credit card issuer and the account holder.
Credit card numbers aren’t randomly assigned; they’re coded to identify the issuer, the network, the account, and also to validate the complete number, all in an effort to prevent theft and fraud. The credit card number must fit a complex pattern in order to work.
The first number
The first six numbers are used to identify the industry and/or credit card issuer. And the first digit is known as theMajor Industry Identifier(MII). Here are some popularMIIsand what they represent:
1: Airlines
2: Airlines and Financial
3: Travel and Entertainment (including American Express)
4: Banking and Financial (Visa)
5: Banking and Financial (MasterCard)
6: Merchandising and Banking (Discover)
7: Petroleum
8: Health Care and Communications
9: Government
The next 5 numbers
These are referred to as the card’sIssuer Identification Number (IIN), or Bank Identification Number (BIN), and further indicate which credit card company it originates from and clarifies to which card network it belongs.
Following the numbers that identify the issuer are the numbers that identify the account holder. Each issuer has one trillion possible numerical configurations with which to create account numbers and differentcredit cardsuse slightly differentnumbering systems.
The next 9-12 numbers
The seventh and all remaining digits in a card number, except for the last, identify that card’s individual account. Your account number may have as few as nine or as many as 12 digits.
The last number
The last digit of a credit card number is known as a check sum. It’s a key that shows whether a credit card is indeed valid. The “check number” or “key” is created by a formula known as theLuhn Algorithm.
TheLuhn algorithmwas developed by inventor Peter Luhn, an IBM engineer who played a role in the early development of the internet. This complex algorithm is able to immediately detect errors when people inaccurately transcribecredit card numbers. It can tell, for instance, when someone accidentally hits the 9 key instead of the 6 key, as well as many other common errors.
As you can see, credit card companies aren’t just throwing digits out randomly. EveryDiscover credit cardcomes with a unique set of numbers with a utilitarian purpose. Like a snowflake, every credit card number is unique.
Did you know?
You can compare Discover credit cards against other industry-leading cards to find the one that’s best suited for how you use it.
