What Every User Should Know About Credit Card Numbers [A Comprehensive Guide]
Credit cards have become the go-to payment method in the nation. According to a Statista 2022 study, the U.S. has roughly three times more credit cards than debit cards in circulation. In some cases, you don’t even need a physical credit card to complete payments—having just the credit card numbers is enough for online payments.
Credit card numbers may seem random, but they are a carefully structured set of digits and the backbone of a payment process. Unlike account numbers, which are tied to a specific bank account, credit card numbers facilitate transactions through card networks, making sure all payments get to where they’re intended:
In this guide, you can learn:
- Where is the credit card number?
- What do the numbers on a credit card mean?
- How can you know if a credit card number is real and valid?
Besides explaining bank card numbers, we will also cover the risks of using credit cards online and discuss ways to reduce vulnerabilities.
What Is a Credit Card Number, and How Does It Help Complete Payments?
A credit card number is a unique 13- to 19-digit sequence printed or embossed on a typically plastic card. The numbers are not random but follow uniform international standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)[1]. They hold crucial information related to the card, such as:
- The credit card issuer (bank or company)
- The credit card network (Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, Discover®, etc.)
- The user account number associated with the card
The credit card number helps a payment processor assess if the card is legitimate and authorized. When a customer initiates a payment, the card credentials are verified across the card network. After the verification, the payment request is sent to the customer’s credit card company or bank. Once the issuing institution authorizes the payment, the requested credit is extended to the customer, enabling the merchant to receive the funds.
How Long Is a Credit Card Number?
Most payment card numbers are 16 digits long and grouped in blocks of four digits. Still, credit cards may have anywhere between 13 and 19 digits[2], depending on the card issuer. Here are some examples[2]:
Among the major credit cards in circulation, only American Express cards have a non-standard 15 digits. Amex card numbers are grouped in three blocks of four, six, and five digits, i.e., they’re printed like this: XXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXX. You can also request a temporary credit card number from American Express so that you can still make payments and access your funds while you wait for your physical card to arrive.
Where To Find the Credit Card Number
Like prepaid or debit card numbers, credit card numbers are typically located on the front of the card, often toward the center. Some card companies print them on the back to conceal the numbers from common view.
If you cannot access your card, you can usually find the number through your financial institution’s internet banking[3] portal, a service most card companies offer. The card number is usually displayed under the My Account or similar tab. You may also find your credit card number on your monthly statement. Note that you may not find the entire sequence as most issuers only mention the last four digits for security reasons.
Meaning of Credit Card Numbers—Explained
A standard credit card number follows a similar structure worldwide. Here’s how it works:
- The first six (or sometimes eight) digits represent the Issuer Identifier Number (IIN).
- The next nine to twelve numbers identify the individual customer account.
- The last digit is the checksum.
The First 6 or 8 Credit Card Digits—Issuer Identifier Number (IIN)
The IIN, also called the Bank Identification Number (BIN), identifies the bank or company linked to your credit card. In the case of large financial institutions, the number also contains other essential data, for example, the country where the card was issued[3].
The first digit of the IIN represents the Major Industry Identifier (MII) that identifies the card network and the attached industry. Refer to the table below for examples[4]:
You can use the online Credit Card BIN Checker to check the institution related to a particular number.
The Next 9–12 Credit Card Digits—Individual Account Number
Except for the last digit, the remaining digits after the IIN are linked to the user’s credit card account number with the bank or company. These digits are individual to each cardholder. The account number is typically nine digits long on a 16-digit card but may vary depending on the total digits.
The Last Credit Card Digit—Checksum
The last digit of a credit card number is the checksum that helps verify a card’s validity. The checksum formula is based on the Luhn Algorithm that mathematically validates if a card number provided is in the correct sequence.
If you suspect a credit card number is fake, you can verify the sequence using the Luhn Algorithm. Here are the four steps:
- Put the credit card number in a table (refer to the table below to see how we’ve done it).
- Once done, start doubling every other digit starting from the right side (excluding the checksum). If you’re handling a 16-digit credit card number, skip digit 16 and double the digit at slots 15, 13, 11, and so on.
- Some of the doubled digits will be greater than 9. In such cases, add the individual ciphers from the doubled digit to make a new total. For example, if one of the doubled digits is 12, change it to 1+2, i.e., 3.
- Add the digits from Step 3 with those that were not doubled—if the sum is a multiple of 10, for example, 50 or 70, the credit card number is valid.
The process will be easier for you to grasp by checking the example. The table below illustrates the calculation with a sample number 4388-5760-1841-0707, 7 being the check digit:
Since the sum of the final set of digits is 70 (divisible by 10), the sample credit card number is valid. Remember that the checksum can only verify the mathematical input—the algorithm can neither detect malicious attacks nor tell if the card is stolen or expired.
How Safe and Reliable Are Credit Cards
The structure of card numbers and transaction protocol play a big part in making credit card payments reliable, convenient, and error-free, but they cannot prevent fraudulent activities entirely. Taking additional steps to protect your card numbers is essential because credit card fraud is currently on the rise.
According to a forecast reported by Insider Intelligence, card fraud losses (all card types included) are expected to reach $13.73 billion by 2024. Here are some practical tips to follow:
- Turn on fraud alerts—Most banks and credit card companies offer users the option to get notified of transactions by enabling fraud alerts. That way, you can quickly detect any suspicious activity on your card.
- Keep your physical card safe—Take steps to protect your payment cards from physical theft. The loss of debit and credit cards may lead to fraudulent transactions and identity theft.
- Use a virtual card online—While protecting a physical card is relatively simple, keeping it safe online isn’t as straightforward. Card data can be stolen from merchant websites due to security breaches, so sharing your real credentials for online purchases can be risky. A virtual card linked to your bank account or card reduces the risk of data exposure by replacing your actual card details with randomly generated numbers. Even if the website suffers a data breach, the hacker cannot access your actual credit or debit card information because the virtual card number masks it.
A focus on payment security due to increasing card fraud has boosted the use of virtual cards as a payment method. According to Future Market Insights, the virtual card market size is expected to be worth $1.3 trillion by 2032.
Make Your Digital Payments Safer—Use Privacy Virtual Cards
If you want a reliable virtual card provider, consider Privacy. Like regular physical cards, Privacy Virtual Cards have unique 16-digit card numbers, expiration dates, and security codes that can be used for online shopping. Privacy Cards are issued in Mastercard or Visa networks and work at most vendors that accept debit/credit cards.
Here’s what the signup process entails:
- Go to the Sign Up page (alternatively, you can download Privacy’s Android or iOS app)
- Fill out the mandatory Know-Your-Customer (KYC) details
- Link your U.S. bank account or debit card
- Request your virtual card
Besides offering additional security, Privacy expedites checkouts through Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browser extensions. These extensions enable you to:
- Create a unique Privacy Card directly on the payment screen.
- Autofill the details into the checkout field to reduce manual error.
You can also leverage Privacy’s 1Password integration to create, manage, and autofill your virtual cards and login credentials from one secure dashboard.
With Privacy, you can make online payments safer by creating Merchant-Locked Cards. Once your Privacy Card is created, it will lock to the first merchant you use it at—any purchases at other merchants will be declined. The feature prevents card misuse if your payment data is breached on the vendor’s website.
You can also use Category-Locked Cards, which “tie” to a specific merchant category. These cards help control spending in categories such as groceries or entertainment and safeguard against potential misuse by vendors not belonging to the predefined category.
Privacy also offers Single-Use Cards that close after the first transaction, rendering them useless to a potential thief.
The platform has an built-in fraud detection system that can notify you of potentially suspicious activities on your cards in real time.
Benefits of Using Privacy Cards
Privacy Cards offer more than online payment security—they come with practical budgeting features.
You can customize each Privacy Card with spending limits to avoid exceeding your budget. Here are some scenarios where limits are necessary:
- If you share a virtual card with a trusted family member or a business employee, the limit ensures you control their spending.
- In case you used a Privacy Card for recurring subscription payments, the limit will prevent the merchant from imposing fees you are unaware of.
Privacy also allows you to close or pause your virtual cards if you want the platform to deny payments on a particular card. Closing a Privacy Card deactivates it permanently, while paused cards can be unpaused. If you’re closing a card used for a recurring subscription, the action will decline the charges.
Privacy currently offers the customizations mentioned above at no additional cost to the user. The free base tier lets you create up to 12 new virtual cards monthly, including Single-Use and Merchant-Locked Cards, but if you require more cards, opt for the Plus ($5/month), Pro ($10/month), or Premium ($25/month) plan. Paid users get access to Category-Locked Cards, Shared Cards, and custom card notes and can also claim 1% cashback on eligible transactions totaling up to $4,500 per month—check out the details here.
Is Privacy Safe?
Privacy is a PCI-compliant company providing the same level of security as the most reliable financial institutions. To make monitoring easy, the platform enables push notifications for all account activities—such as a new transaction or a declined payment. Privacy’s dashboard lets users check their transaction history and detect if anything’s amiss.
Accredited by Better Business Bureau®, the company holds itself to the highest standards and offers an excellent customer support system.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can You Tell a Bank Based on the First 4 Numbers?
Even with a tool that gives you a credit card info breakdown based on the IIN, there’s only so much you can tell about the institution or the card type related to a particular number based on the first four digits.
If a credit card number starts with a five, it can be issued by any bank that issues Mastercard cards, and many banks do. The same goes for a credit card beginning with a four—it could be any bank that issues Visa cards. A credit card starting with a three can either be Bank of Montreal, which issues Diner’s Club cards, or American Express, which is the issuer of its own cards. The same goes for cards starting with a six and Discover.
The first four numbers might help narrow it down, but not by much. If you know that a card number starts with 4388, you can tell it’s a Visa. You can’t tell the card type or the issuer for certain, however, as it might be a debit card issued by the United Federal Credit Union, a credit card issued by Bank of America, or possibly another combination of banks and card types. You need the whole BIN to be able to tell credit card types by numbers with certainty.
The number of digits on the credit card doesn’t help either. Most banks are registered with one of the five international networks, and their credit cards follow similar structures. A credit card with 15 digits can be either an American Express or Diner’s Club Card, since both issue credit cards with the same number length.
How To See Full Credit Card Number in Apple Wallet
Apple Wallet doesn’t allow you to see your full credit card number. The only digits of your card number you can view in the app are the last four.
To show your card details in Apple Wallet, open the app, tap on Apple Card, then scroll down and select Card Information.
Where Is a Credit Card’s Expiration Date on a Card?
You'll find the credit card expiration date on the front of your card, usually below your 16-digit card number, denoted as MM/YY. Credit card networks like Mastercard® or Visa® set credit cards expiration dates to help ensure cardholders receive updated cards with new security features.
References
[1] Chase. https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/what-is-a-credit-card-number, sourced May 2023
[2] Staff. Growing Savings. https://growingsavings.com/many-numbers-credit-card/, December 6, 2017
[3] Card Insider. https://cardinsider.com/blog/how-can-you-find-your-credit-card-number-without-the-credit-card/, November 25, 2022
[4] Staff. CardRates.com. https://www.cardrates.com/advice/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-credit-card-numbers/, May 24, 2018
