Credit Card Brands Explained
The four major card brands differ in BIN ranges, global acceptance, card levels and typical use cases.
By Daniel Cross, Senior Payment Systems Analyst · Last updated: 2026-10-20
The four networks that matter
Most cards you will see carry one of four network marks. Visa and Mastercard are the open-loop networks used almost everywhere. American Express and Discover are closed-loop: the network is also the issuer, so the brand and the bank behind the card are the same organisation. That difference shows up in the data: an American Express BIN is issued by American Express.
| Brand | Network model | Security code | Typical levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | Open loop, many issuers | CVV2, 3 digits back | Classic, Electron, Gold, Platinum, Signature, Infinite |
| Mastercard | Open loop, many issuers | CVC2, 3 digits back | Standard, Gold, Platinum, World, World Elite |
| American Express | Closed loop, issues its own cards | CID, 4 digits front | Green, Gold, Platinum, Centurion |
| Discover | Closed loop, issues its own cards | CID, 3 digits back | It, Miles, Cashback, it Cashback |
Card levels are not brands
The words on the front of a card describe the product tier within a brand, not a different network. Visa Gold, Visa Platinum and Visa Infinite are all Visa. The tier usually governs fees, rewards and acceptance, and it is the reason two cards with the same first six digits can behave differently at the point of sale. That is one of the reasons a BIN lookup returns a card level as well as a brand.
- Classic and Standard are the entry tiers
- Gold, Platinum and World are mid tiers with higher fees and better rewards
- Signature, Infinite, World Elite and Centurion are the premium tiers
- Some tiers are only issued in certain markets
- Two cards with the same BIN can sit in different tiers
Credit, debit, prepaid and commercial
The type field in the BIN data is the one that changes how a card behaves at authorisation. A credit card draws on a line of credit and may have an extended authorisation window. A debit card draws directly on a bank account and is usually authenticated differently. A prepaid card holds a loaded balance and can be declined simply because the balance is gone. A commercial card is issued to a business and settles against a company account.
| Type | Funds come from | Authorisation behaviour | Common categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit | A revolving line of credit | May approve where a debit would not | Standard, Commercial, Government |
| Debit | A bank account | Usually stricter, often with a real-time hold | Standard |
| Prepaid | A preloaded balance | Declines when the balance is exhausted | Standard |
| Commercial | A company account | Follows the organisation's credit terms | Commercial, Purchasing, Corporate |
Regional and co-branded cards
A great many cards in circulation are co-branded: a local bank issues a card that carries a network mark from a global scheme. This is why a BIN's country of issue is not always the country the brand is strongest in. It is also why two cards with entirely different-looking fronts can share a network. The issuer, not the brand, is what a BIN identifies.
- Co-branded cards are issued by a local bank under a global network
- The country of issue follows the issuer, not the brand
- The same network appears on cards with very different designs
- Some markets have a dominant domestic network alongside Visa and Mastercard
How to identify a card from its number
The first digit or two narrow the field considerably, and the first six give you the issuer. A card starting 4 is a Visa, 5 is a Mastercard, 3 is a legacy American Express range, and 6 is mostly a union of issuers rather than one brand. From the fourth digit onwards the length becomes brand-specific: a Visa is 13, 16 or 19 digits, a Mastercard is always 16, and an American Express is always 15.
| First digit | Common brands | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 9 | Legacy Visa, legacy Mastercard and others | 13, 16 or 19 |
| 2 | Mastercard (the 2-series range) | 16 |
| 3 | American Express and Diners Club | 15 |
| 4 | Visa | 13, 16 or 19 |
| 5 | Mastercard | 16 |
| 6 | Union Pay, Discover, RuPay and others | 16, 17, 18 or 19 |
| 7 | A mix of local and national schemes | 16 or 19 |
| 8 | Mostly national schemes | 16, 17, 18 or 19 |
Why the distinction matters in practice
Deciding whether a card is credit or debit changes the risk decision, the authentication flow and the settlement timing. Deciding whether a range is domestic or foreign changes how much of the issuer's regulation applies. And a card level changes fees and acceptance. All three are in the BIN data, which is why a prefix lookup that returns only an issuer name is leaving most of the signal on the table.
- Type changes how an authorisation is risk-assessed
- Country of issue changes the regulatory regime
- Card level changes fees and acceptance
- Brand determines the network routing
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four major card brands?
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. Visa and Mastercard are open-loop networks that license many issuers; American Express and Discover are closed-loop and issue their own cards.
Is a Visa Gold the same as a Visa Infinite?
No. Both are Visa, but they are different product tiers with different fees, rewards and acceptance. A BIN lookup returns the card level as well as the brand for exactly this reason.
What is a co-branded card?
A card issued by a local bank that carries a global network's mark. It is why the country of issue of a BIN follows the issuer rather than the brand, and why the same network appears on very different cards.
How can I tell if a card is credit or debit?
The BIN data carries the product type for every prefix, so a lookup returns CREDIT, DEBIT, PREPAID or COMMERCIAL along with the issuer and the brand.
Which card brands are accepted in my country?
Acceptance follows the acquirer, and in most markets all four major networks are accepted. The BIN data records the country of issue for every prefix, which is a different question but a related one.
Are there card brands beyond the big four?
Yes, many. Union Pay, RuPay, Elo, Mir, JCB, Diners Club, Discover and others operate nationally or regionally, and they make up a large share of cards in circulation outside North America and Western Europe.
Why do some cards have 13 digits and some 19?
Both are valid Visa lengths. Visa expanded its range allocation and length from 13 to 16 and then 19 digits, so older cards are 13 and newer ones 16 or 19. Mastercard is always 16 and American Express always 15.