Free BIN Checker - Look Up Any Card's Issuing Bank

Enter first 6-8 digits of a card

What is a BIN?

A BIN (Bank Identification Number), also called an IIN (Issuer Identification Number), is the first part of a payment card number. It identifies the card network and the bank or institution that issued the card. Traditionally the BIN was the first 6 digits; since the ISO/IEC 7812 standard moved to 8-digit IINs, many issuers now use the first 8 digits.

The first digit alone already tells you the network family: cards starting with 4 are Visa, 51–55 and 2221–2720 are Mastercard, 34 and 37 are American Express, and 6 covers Discover, UnionPay and some Maestro ranges.

What a BIN lookup tells you

Card brand: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, UnionPay, Mir and others.
Card type: credit, debit or prepaid.
Card level: for example Classic, Gold, Platinum or Business, when the issuer publishes it.
Issuing bank: the institution that issued the card.
Issuing country: the country the card was issued in, which often decides how merchants treat it.

How to use the BIN checker

Type the first 6 to 8 digits of the card into the box above.
Run the lookup to see the brand, type, bank and country.
Compare the result with what the merchant or service you want to pay expects.

Only enter the first digits. You never need the full card number, expiry date or CVV to check a BIN, and you should not share them with any lookup tool.

Why BINs matter when paying online

Many merchants and subscription services check the BIN before they accept a payment. Some only accept cards issued in certain countries, some block prepaid cards, and fraud systems compare the card's country with your billing address and IP location. A BIN check before you pay helps you spot a mismatch early instead of finding out from a declined payment.

Merchants use BIN data too: to route payments, apply the right fees, and flag orders where the card country does not match the customer's location.

Related tools and guides

Use the credit card validator to check that a full card number passes the Luhn check, or the chargeback vs refund calculator if you run an online store. For a deeper look at why cards get declined, read why the OpenAI API keeps declining cards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a BIN the same as an IIN?

Yes. IIN (Issuer Identification Number) is the formal ISO term; BIN (Bank Identification Number) is the older, more common name. Both mean the leading digits of a card number that identify the issuer.

Are BINs 6 or 8 digits?

Both exist. The ISO/IEC 7812 standard expanded IINs to 8 digits, so many newer card ranges use 8 digits, while lookups on the first 6 digits still identify the brand and most issuers.

Is it safe to check a BIN?

Yes. The first 6 to 8 digits alone cannot be used to make a payment. Never enter a full card number, expiry date or CVV into a BIN lookup tool.

Why does a merchant decline my card even though the BIN is valid?

A valid BIN only means the issuer exists. Merchants can still decline cards from certain countries, prepaid cards, or payments where the card country does not match your billing address or location.