In payment-card processing, what does the acronym BIN stand for?

In payment-card processing, BIN stands for Bank Identification Number.

A BIN is the initial portion of a card number that identifies the institution or organization that issued the card. It helps payment systems route transactions and apply appropriate rules, such as currency, country, card type, and fraud checks. The term originally referred to the bank that issued a card, although modern payment systems also use the broader term issuer identification number, or IIN.

BINs are associated with the first six digits of many payment cards, but industry standards and expanded numbering practices can involve eight-digit issuer identifiers. The number is not the same as a customer’s account number or PIN. It also does not reveal the cardholder’s identity by itself.

People sometimes use BIN and IIN interchangeably. BIN remains the widely recognized term in payments, while IIN is the more technically inclusive name because cards can be issued by non-bank organizations.