A bank identification number (BIN) — also called an issuer identification number — is the first 6 to 8 digits of a credit or debit card number and identifies the issuing bank, card brand, card type, and country of origin. Older cards use 6 digits, whereas cards issued after April 2022 now use 8. These numbers are maintained in global databases and updated regularly.
BIN data is typically used for two main purposes.
First, the information helps route transactions correctly through the payment ecosystem.
Also, BINs are essential in building a fraud and chargeback management strategy. You can use BIN data to block high-risk issuers, adjust fraud rules by region, or prevent acceptance of unsupported card types.
AltoPay uses BIN data in fraud prevention logic and allows businesses to customize acceptance parameters based on historical trends. Leveraging BINs properly can help reduce fraud exposure while maintaining approval rates.
