How to Find a Card's Issuing Bank and Other Details (BIN Lookup)

Modified on Wed, 18 Jun at 9:41 AM

When reviewing a transaction, it's often necessary to find more information about the card used, such as the bank that issued it. This is done using a Bank Identification Number (BIN) lookup.

What is a BIN?

A BIN is the first 6 to 8 digits of a debit or credit card number. These numbers are unique to the financial institution that issued the card and act as a public identifier.

By looking up the BIN, you can instantly find valuable information to help with risk assessment and transaction verification.


What Information Can You Get from a BIN Lookup?

A BIN lookup can provide several key data points about a card, including:

  • The Issuing Bank: The name of the bank that issued the card (e.g., Absa, FNB, Standard Bank).
  • The Card Scheme: The brand of the card (e.g., Visa, Mastercard).
  • Card Type: Whether it is a Debit, Credit, or Prepaid card.
  • Card Level: The tier of the card (e.g., Classic, Gold, Platinum, Business).
  • Issuing Country: The country where the card was issued.

Recommended BIN Checker Websites

To perform a BIN lookup, you can use any of these reliable and free online tools. Simply enter the first 6 to 8 digits of the card number into the search field.

1. https://binlist.net/
2. https://www.bincodes.com/
3. https://www.freebinchecker.com/
4https://www.bankbinlist.com/

Important Disclaimer: While these tools are excellent for quick checks and general risk assessment, please be aware that BIN data can change as banks issue new card ranges. For critical, real-time fraud decision-making, it is always best to rely on the data provided directly by your payment gateway's risk systems or to use a dedicated, enterprise-grade fraud prevention service.

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