Visa and MasterCard have extended the Bank Identification Numbers (BIN) from 6 to 8 digits from 1st April 2022.
What is a BIN? The Bank Identification Number (BIN) is used to identify the institution that issued the card. It is composed of the first six digits of the Primary Account Number (PAN). These numbers help payment service providers (PSPs) determine the type of card being used, the location of the card issuer and which bank or company issued the card.
How will 8-digit BINS affect you?
• Visa has already announced that they will only be assigning 8-digit issuing BINs for any new cards and will no longer assign 6-digit BINs. All acquirers and processors must be ready to support the new 8-digit BIN standard adopted by the International Organization for Standardization.
• MasterCard will adopt the ISO 8-digit BIN standard and assign 8-digit BINs to issuers by request. To ensure readiness, Mastercard is requesting that all acquirers and their third-party processors (TPPs) will be able to support 11-digit account ranges and the 8-digit BIN standard.
What remains the same?
• The existing and new PAN lengths will remain unchanged.
• The Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance rules and requirements remain the same.
• BIN tables will continue to show the full range as they do today.
What do I need to do as a merchant?
• Check system compatibility with the new 8-digit format.
• Check with your payment processor or your acquirer to ensure they will be able to support 8-digit BINs.
