What Is a Primary Account Number (PAN)?

You probably see it every time you swipe your card, but do you really know what that string of digits means?

The Primary Account Number (PAN) is more than just a bunch of numbers printed on your card—it’s the secret sauce that makes payments possible!

Whether you’re a business owner managing transactions or just curious about how card payments work, let’s break down the PAN and why it’s such a big deal.

What Is a PAN?

The Primary Account Number (PAN) is the long number embossed or printed on the front of your payment card. Typically made up of 16 digits, it’s the key to every transaction you make. Think of it as your card’s digital fingerprint—it identifies your bank, your account and even the card network that processes your payment.

PANs are essential for verifying your account during transactions and ensuring that the right funds move from point A to point B—without any hiccups. Whether it’s a credit, debit or prepaid card, the PAN is always there, making things happen behind the scenes.

How Do PANs Power Transactions?

Let’s say you’re at a coffee shop, buying your usual caffeine fix. You tap your card and within seconds—transaction complete. Magic? Not quite. Here’s what really happens:

1. Captured: Your PAN is read from your card’s chip, the magnetic stripe or through contactless technology like tap-to-pay.
   

2. Tokenised: To protect your data, the PAN is swapped with a secure token before being sent. This step helps keep your info safe from hackers.
   

3. Submitted: The token and transaction amount are sent to the acquiring bank, which passes it to the payment network.
   

4. Validated: The card issuer checks the PAN to verify the account, detect any fraud and ensure there are enough funds.
   

5. Approved: If everything checks out, the issuer sends approval back through the network, completing your purchase.

In just a few seconds, your coffee’s paid for and you’re off to conquer the day!

The Structure of a PAN

Now that we know how it works, let’s break down what those numbers actually mean. The PAN isn’t just random digits—it follows a specific structure to ensure accuracy and security.

• Major Industry Identifier (MII)

  The first digit of the PAN tells you the card scheme.

  • 4 = Visa

  • 5 = Mastercard

  • 3 = American Express

  • 6 = Discover
    

• Issuer Identification Number (IIN) / Bank Identification Number (BIN)

  The first eight digits represent the issuing institution. This helps payment networks direct the transaction to the right place.
  

• Account Identifier

  The next few digits (typically 9 to 15) uniquely link the card to your specific account. This is where your bank’s system recognises who you are.
  

• Check Digit

  The final digit ensures the entire PAN is valid using the Luhn Algorithm. It’s like a math-based seal of approval that guards against input errors or tampering.

Why Is PAN Security So Important?

You wouldn’t give your phone number to just anyone, right? Your PAN is even more sensitive. That’s why tokenisation and encryption are crucial for keeping your information secure. When hackers target card data, they’re usually after PANs, so every payment processor takes extra steps to keep them safe.

Businesses that handle card payments must comply with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) to ensure that PAN data is protected. Failing to do so could result in costly data breaches and a loss of customer trust—definitely not the kind of headache you want.

How Intercash Protects PAN Data

At Intercash, we take payment security seriously. Our custom card-issuing programmes follow strict compliance standards, using tokenisation and encryption to ensure that sensitive data never falls into the wrong hands.

Whether you’re managing employee expenses, issuing customer loyalty cards or enabling fast payouts to your employees, you can count on Intercash to keep transactions safe and efficient. Plus, our virtual cards add another layer of security with single-use PANs that make fraud attempts a lot harder.

Final Thoughts: A Little Number with a Big Job

The next time you glance at your card number, give it a nod of appreciation. That little string of digits is doing a lot more work than you might think. From identifying the card network to securing your payments, the PAN is the unsung hero of every transaction.

At Intercash, we’re here to make payments faster, smarter and more secure. Curious to learn more about our solutions? Get in touch with one of our payment professionals today!