What You Didnt Know About Your Credit Card Numbers

Have you ever really looked at your credit card and tried to figure out what that huge string of numbers really means? Do these card issuers have so many customers that your account number has to be 16 digits long?

You may be surprised to know that all those numbers you see actually do stand for something, and it's not just who you are. Let's take a look.

Most of the major credit card companies operate on the same system when choosing a credit card number. Other cards like gas cards, department store cards and phone cards go their own way. Let's concentrate on the ones that all play by the same rules.

The very first digit in the series will be a 3,4,5, 0r 6. This number designates the type of card as follows:

3 = a Travel & Entertainment Card like American Express or Diners Club.

4 = Visa and Visa-branded debit cards, cash cards, etc.

5 = MasterCard and MasterCard-branded debit cards, cash cards, etc.

6 = Discover

American Express and Diners Club use the second digit to identify the company. That means that Diners Club cards will start with either "36" or "38", and American Express cards will use either "34" or "37".

The remaining numbers in the series are used for different purposes depending upon the card type and issuer.

In most cases, the next group after the opening series of numbers represents the routing number of the card-issuing bank, the group after that is the user's account number, and the final digit is a check digit. The check digit is a number that is calculated by applying a special formula to all of the other numbers. The check digit is the result of that formula and is used as an anti-fraud check.

To keep things from getting too confusing, look at your card as you follow along for the next steps.

American Express

The American Express Card uses digits three and four for type (business or personal) and the currency of the cardholder's country of origin. The next digits from the fifth through the eleventh are account numbers.

Digits twelve through fourteen indicate the card number within the account and the last digit is the check digit.

Visa

With Visa, digits two through six represent the bank number. Beginning with the seventh digit and running through the twelfth or the fifteenth represents the account number and the last number is the check digit.

Since all Visa cards do not have the same amount of numbers in the sequence, the number of digits in a group may vary.

MasterCard

For MasterCard, the second digit, through to anywhere between the third and the sixth digit is the bank number. All remaining digits, except the check digit at the end of the series, identifies that cardholder's account.

Now that we've gone over it all, you're probably wondering why you were ever wondering in the first place. Just remember though, knowledge is power. Some things are just fun to know.

Ewen Chia is the owner of Free-Credit-Card-Offer.com which provides free credit card information for everyone. Click here to learn more plus receive a free credit card instantly! ==> http://www.Free-Credit-Card-Offer.com

---

The FICO Score Misconceptions

There are many misconceptions about credit scores out there. There... Read More

Update Your Computer System With Bad Credit Computer Financing

The moment I placed myself in front of the computer... Read More

Getting Your Credit Report and Understanding Whats On It

If you intend to apply for a loan, you need... Read More

What is the Check 21 Act?

Check 21 is the common name for the Check Clearing... Read More

New Credit Advice: Dont Pay off Those Credit Cards!

Credit needed for real estate mortgage financing differs from credit... Read More

FREE Credit Report Offer - Careful, It Might Carry Hidden Charges

FREE credit checks or free credit reports. What are they... Read More

UPS Delivers the Goods, Your Identity

Well now we add CitiGroup and UPS to the Identity... Read More

What Is A FICO Score?

A credit score is most commonly known as a FICO... Read More

What Should I Do If I?ve Become a Victim of Identity Theft?

Identity thieves take advantage of everyday opportunities to discover your... Read More

Credit Repair Services vs. Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair

Millions of Americans suffer because of bad credit these days,... Read More

To Repair Credit Is No longer Satisfactory - Learn How To Earn A Millionaires Credit In 30 Days...

To repair your bad credit does not necessarily mean that... Read More

Credit Card Balance Transfers Explained

What is a balance transfer ? A balance transfer can... Read More

ChexSystems: Who They Are and How it Affects You

ChexSystems is a company that maintains a subscriber membership service... Read More

Credit Card Expenses Are Killing Your Budget!

Do you know the costs associated with your credit card?... Read More

Low Interest Credit Cards: A Thing of the Past?

With interest rates rising, low or zero percent credit cards... Read More

How Can A Qualified Mortgage Consultant Help Boost Your Credit Scores?

Consumers interested in purchasing or refinancing a home will pay... Read More

Top 7 Factors to Consider While Reviewing Credit Card Offers

Credit cards have migrated from being hip or convenience product... Read More

Credit Report And Correction Techniques

The three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union... Read More

The Credit Card Surprise That You Need to Look Out For

Companies that issue credit cards want to make a profit.... Read More

What is on Your Credit Report?

Your credit report is a very important piece of the... Read More

19,178 Identity Theft Victims Per Day - Are You One Of Them?

Identity theft statistics are shocking. And we are told that... Read More

Trying to Land a Job? Poor Credit Scores May Hurt Your Chances

Many employers are now looking at an applicant's credit report... Read More

Maximizing Credit Card Rewards

In their quest to get you to sign up for... Read More

Avoiding ID Theft and Credit Fraud

Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space... Read More

Why Credit Cards are a Bad Idea

Credit cards are just so convenient, aren't they? There's no... Read More

Identity Theft Exploding: Here?s How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim

Americans are more concerned about identity theft than unemployment or... Read More

Big Brother Knows Whats in Your Credit Report - How About You?

Whether you are aware of it or not, credit bureaus... Read More

SuperCharged Secret 3, Credit Card Utopia

TURBO-CHARGED KILLER RATE SAVING INFORMATION!Let's just take a brief moment... Read More

Credit Counseling: Could it Work for Me?

In the face of financial hardship, many seeking a responsible... Read More

Two Things You Need To Know About Prepaid Debit Cards

According to the September 2004 issue of the Nilson Report,... Read More

Different Ways to Borrow Money

There are many different ways to borrow money. Outlined below... Read More

Good Credit is King, When Qualifying for Mortgage Programs

If you want to purchase a new home or refinance... Read More

Why Does Your Credit Card Rate Keep Going Up?

Have your read your credit card contract through completely? Do... Read More