BIN to Brand
Detect the card brand from a BIN or partial prefix.
How this tool works
This tool takes a prefix and returns the network that carries it. That is a narrower question than a full lookup, and it is the question that actually matters at the point of routing: the brand determines the network, and the network determines the rules, the reason codes and the dispute process.
The brand is not always obvious from the number. The first digit narrows it to a family but not to a network, because several brands share a leading digit, and a substantial share of cards in circulation carry a national network rather than one of the four global ones. The dataset covers 71 brands, so the answer is usually specific.
Worked examples
| Prefix | Brand |
|---|---|
| 424242 | Visa |
| 555555 | Mastercard |
| 378282 | American Express |
| 601111 | Discover |
| 621234 | Union Pay |
A BIN identifies the issuer, not the network. This is the tool that answers the network question.
When to use it
- Determine the network before routing a transaction
- Check that a listing's claimed brand matches its prefix
- Group a set of records by network
- Verify the brand on a card whose number is unusual
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the card brand from a number?
Take the first six digits and look them up. The dataset maps every prefix to the brand, and the tool returns it directly.
Can you tell the brand from the first digit alone?
No. A 6 covers Union Pay, Discover, RuPay and others, and a 4 covers Visa but shares its first digit with nothing else major, which is unusual. The full prefix is what identifies the brand reliably.
Does a BIN identify the brand or the issuer?
The issuer. A BIN is an issuer identifier. The brand is a separate field, and it is the field that names the network.
How many brands does the dataset cover?
71, including the four global networks and a large number of national and regional ones.
What is a co-branded card and how does this handle it?
A card issued by a local bank carrying a global network's mark. The prefix identifies the issuing bank, and the brand field gives the network that carries the card, so the two are independent.