Credit Card Numbers: How Much Do You Know?
Most of us carry credit cards with us every day, but have you ever really looked at them? The credit card number itself is particularly interesting, and you can learn a lot more about it in this Wiki article on bank card numbers. But here are some basics, to get you started...
Anatomy of a Credit Card
To start with, what goes where?
- Issuing bank logo
- EMV chip on "smart cards"
- Hologram
- Credit card number
- Card brand logo
- Expiration Date
- Card Holder Name
- Contactless Chip
Your Credit Card Number
Did you know that the first number in this series gives a clue as to the type of industry the card issuer is in? For example, numbers beginning with 1 & 2 signify the airlines industry, 3 means travel & entertainment, and 4 & 5 are reserved for banking and financial institutions.
Credit Card Validation
You've probably noticed that different credit card issuers use a consistent and unique pattern for all their account numbers. For instance, American Express card numbers always begin with 34 or 37 and contain 15 digits.
Because of these patterns, it's possible for programmers to write a script that checks the numbers one enters in an online form, to make sure the format and formula is valid.
You can test this out using the form below. Change the last several numbers of your actual account if you'd like, but make sure to keep the amount of numbers and the beginning 4 numbers the same.