Yet others will use a secondary account number instead to keep the cards separate for tracking purposes.īusiness credit cards apply PANs slightly differently. Some credit and debit card issuers will give you PAN cards with the same primary account number on each. Primary card number vs secondary card numberĭo you have an account with more than one authorised user? In that case, you could consider applying for separate PAN cards for both users. In between, the middle digits are used as a unique identifier for each customer.Ī PAN is only used on payment cards, which means it’s different from bank account codes like BIC and SWIFT. The final digit is called a checksum number, which is used for security purposes. The first few digits identify the issuing company and credit card network, whether it’s Visa, MasterCard, or a different provider. Although they may vary in digit length, all PANS follow the same basic structure. When a customer opens a new payment account, the issuer automatically generates a unique PAN to go with it. In addition to credit and debit cards, PAN cards also include things like store gift cards and prepaid cards. Also called a payment card number, this unique identifier includes valuable details that the payment processor needs to complete a transaction. A PAN can be anywhere from 14 to 19 digits in length, depending on the type of account. This is the cardholder’s primary account number, shortened to PAN. Look at the front of any credit card, and you’ll see a unique number embossed across the front. How are these numbers assigned and what do they mean? We’ll explore the ins and outs of PANs below. This is called a primary account number, or PAN. If you have a credit or debit account, you’ll have a unique identifying number to go with it.

Account number for credit card