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The Daily Insight Hub

Do all cards have 16 digits?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on February 09, 2026

Credit cards that are part of the Visa, Mastercard and Discover payment networks have 16 digits, while those that are part of the American Express payment network have just 15. There are also other numbers on the front or back of your credit card that can be used to authenticate transactions.

What number do Diners Club cards start with?

Diners Club: Card numbers begin with 36 or 38. (There are Diners Club cards that begin with 5. These are a joint venture between Diners Club and MasterCard, and are processed like a MasterCard.) Discover: Card numbers begin with 6011 or 65.

Can a credit card have 14 digits?

Valid Lengths of Account Numbers Some of the more common issuers of cards have between 13 and 16 digits. Each type of account number has specific lengths, which can serve as a secondary method to identify the type of credit card. American Express contains 15 digits, and Diner’s Club and Carte Blanche contain 14 digits.

How many digits are in a card number?

16 digits
A credit card number is the long set of digits displayed across the front or back of your plastic credit card. It is typically 16 digits in length, often appearing in sets of four. Sometimes it can be as long as 19 digits, and it is used to identify both the credit card issuer and the account holder.

What 4 digits does Visa start with?

Visa starts with 4, a Mastercard is 5 and Discover is 6. Other numbers are used to identify the industry. For instance, 1 and 2 are used for the airline industry. The numeral 3 represents travel and entertainment, so it makes sense that this number also indicates it’s an American Express card.

What are the credit card numbers for Diners Club?

The credit card number must pass the Luhn Algorithm Check. Every Diners Club credit card has a specifically prefix like: 300-305, 2014, 2149, 300-305, 309, 36, 38-39, 54, 55.

What’s the difference between Diners Club and visa?

Visa and Diners Club are quite different, starting with their business approach. Visa is a payment processing system only; it does not issue any cards directly to the consumer, but allows financial institutions to brand their cards as “Visa” and use these cards on the Visa payment processing system.

How did the Diners Club International get its name?

Diners Club International was named for being a “club of diners” that would allow patrons to settle their bill at the end of each month through their credit account. When the card was first introduced, Diners Club listed 27 participating restaurants, and 200 of the founders’ friends and acquaintances used it.

When did discover start processing Diners Club cards?

Effective October 16, 2009, Diners Club cards beginning with 30, 36, 38 or 39 have been processed by Discover Card. On November 3, 2014, MasterCard announced that they were introducing a new series of BIN ranges that begin with a “2” (222100–272099). The “2” series BINs will be processed the same as the “51–55” series BINs are today.