Due to a new requirement by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), from April 2022, a card-issuing bank (issuer) may only issue cards with an 8-digit BIN (Bank Identification Number).
The BIN (Bank Identification Number) is a component of the card number used to identify the issuer, also known as the PAN (Primary Account Number).
The rise in cashless payments has led to a significant increase in the number of credit card issuers, and the number of possible combinations for the BIN would soon be exhausted. Therefore, starting from April 2022, the BIN range, which was previously 6 digits, will be expanded to 8 digits. There will be a transition period from April onwards during which both 6-digit and 8-digit cards are expected to be in use. It will be the responsibility of the issuer to decide whether and when to replace a card with a 6-digit BIN, but all new cards issued from April 2022 onwards must contain an 8-digit BIN.
The extension of the BIN range to 8 digits does not affect the overall length of the card number.
As a result, no technical changes are required for the future processing of transactions at terminals. The current PCI requirements for card masking will also remain in place and will be maintained, for example, on the terminal receipt. Therefore, the extension of the BIN range has no impact on the purchasing process for cardholders, nor is any technical adjustment necessary on the merchant side. The same applies to e-commerce payments as well.
However, it is possible that some merchants and payment service providers (PSPs) use the 6-digit BIN for purposes such as routing or blocking transactions, loyalty programs, fraud prevention, or specific reports. For this reason, we recommend that you contact your PSP to determine if you are affected and whether any adjustments need to be made.
As a retailer, do I have to do anything to support the new BIN standard?
In general, no action is required. However, if you currently identify the 6-digit BIN for specific business purposes and take actions based on it, we recommend reviewing your business processes and adjusting them if necessary.
What is the BIN?
The term BIN refers to the first 6 digits of a card number, which will be extended to 8 digits starting in April 2022.
What is the PAN?
The term PAN (Primary Account Number) refers to the entire card number, which is typically 16 digits long. The issuing bank (Issuer) can be derived from the first 8 digits of the PAN.
Why is the BIN being expanded to 8 positions?
The new standard was introduced by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) due to the significant increase in credit card issuers in recent years, which would have led to a shortage of available BINs in the foreseeable future.
Does the change in the BIN range have an impact on future payment processing in acquiring?
The BIN change typically does not affect you, as our systems are already compatible and certified with the 8-digit BIN.
Could the extension of the BIN range lead to payment failures?
Some merchants and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) use the BIN for routing transactions, loyalty programs, fraud prevention, or reporting. Therefore, please promptly check if you are affected or what you need to do if you use an external Payment Service Provider or an integrated software solution for your payments.
Does the extension of the BIN range have an impact on point-of-sale (POS) integrations?
No.
Is the BIN used for card identification at the point of sale (POS)?
No, for card identification at the POS, either a code (ZVT) is used, or the type of card is passed as plain text in the XML file.
For further inquiries regarding this topic or any other concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us by phone. We are here to assist you and look forward to hearing from you!