Primary Account Number (PAN)
What Is a Primary Account Number?
The term primary account number alludes to a 14-, 15-, 16-, or even up to 19-digit number produced as a unique identifier designated for a primary account. Primary account numbers are additionally called payment card numbers as they are found on payment cards like credit and debit cards. This account number is either embossed or laser-printed and is found on the front of the card.
Primary account numbers are either embossed or laser-printed and can be found on the front of a card.
Understanding Primary Account Numbers
Primary account numbers are unique identifiers for various payment cards like credit and debit cards, giving data about the cardholder, for example, the name, balance, credit limit. PANs may likewise be utilized to recognize different types of cards that store value like a gift or prepaid card.
Since they might be the main number associated with a specific account — as on account of a credit card — primary account numbers are likewise called account numbers. In different cases, they may not distinguish the exact account data about the associated account. For example, a debit card number doesn't reflect or distinguish the account numbers of any linked checking, savings, or different accounts.
The primary account number is regularly created when an account is opened. Hence, it is typically the primary account in a series that might be opened by a customer at a financial institution. The primary account number is likewise normally the number related to a tradeline on a person's credit report. PANs are able to support account record keeping and resolution assuming that issues ought to emerge with the account.
Special Considerations
The absolute first digit of a primary account number is called the major industry identifier, which recognizes the type of credit card by giving company
- American Express cards start with a 3
- Visa cards begin with a 4
- MasterCard cards start with a 5
- Discover cards begin with a 6
- Certain airline credit cards start with a 1 or 2
- Petroleum company cards start with a 7
- Certain telecommunications and medical services cards start with a 8
The initial six digits distinguish the credit card network associated with the card, for example, 601100 for Discover cards. The last digit is called the checksum number which keeps crooks from making fraudulent credit card numbers. The in the middle of between the initial six digits and the last digit uniquely recognize the customer's account.
Primary Account Number Security
Credit card companies, for example, Visa ask shippers to play it safe to safeguard customers' primary account numbers. One such guideline is called PAN truncation. Visa says traders are not required to store full account numbers. Doing so presents a security risk in the event that there is a data breach. In the United States, a federal law called the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) restricts traders from printing more than the last 5 digits of a cardholder's account number on a receipt. Dealers are likewise restricted from printing the card's expiration date.
Primary Account Numbers versus Secondary Account Numbers
Financial institutions and lenders might issue debit and credit cards may to a secondary client authorized by the primary account holder. On the off chance that an account has a [secondary account holder](/extra cardholder), cards may both utilize the primary account number. A few institutions, however, have a card-giving policy that permits the secondary client to have a secondary account number.
Business credit card accounts operate somewhat better. The primary account number for corporate credit cards shows up on no employee's credit card. In this case, the credit card company issues every employee a card with separate, secondary account numbers. This makes it simpler for companies to recognize and follow charges in light of every employee's card utilization.
Features
- In spite of the fact that they might be utilized as an identifier, PANs don't necessarily give exact account data just like with debit cards.
- PANs can be utilized to support account record keeping and resolution.
- A primary account number is a 14, 15, or 16 digit number produced as a unique identifier for a primary account.
- Primary account numbers are issued to payment cards, for example, credit and debit cards as well as different cards that store value like a gift card.
