What is the format of a credit card number?
Matthew Harrington
Updated on February 11, 2026
Payment card numbers are composed of 8 to 19 digits, as follows: a six or eight-digit Issuer Identification Number (IIN), the first digit of which is the major industry identifier (MII) a variable length (up to 12 digits) individual account identifier. a single check digit calculated using the Luhn algorithm.
What do credit card numbers add up to?
Card Number Credit/Debit card numbers are all numeric. These numbers count ranges from 12 to 19 digits. For example, MasterCard has 16 digits and American Express has 15 digits.
What information does a credit card contain?
What are the parts of a credit card? The front of the credit card shows the name of the bank; a security chip; the bank identification number (BIN, or “card number”), which usually contains 16 digits; the card expiry date; and the cardholder’s name.
Do you put spaces in credit card number?
No. Enter your credit card number without any spaces or special characters. It should be entered as a continuous string of numbers.
What credit card starts with a 2?
Mastercard
Here are starting numbers for major credit card issuers in the U.S.: First digit: 2; Credit card issuer: Mastercard (2017)
How many digits does a credit card have?
The maximum length of any credit card is 19 digits. Let’s take a closer look at the length of credit card numbers for various card types. Credit cards numbers are not just a series of random numbers produced for each card issued.
How do you add up the numbers on a credit card?
Read the numbers from right to left, skipping over the check digit, which will be used later in the process. Starting with the second digit from the right, double every other number. If a resulting number is two digits, such as 18, you will add the two digits together—in this case, to get 9. Add up all of these numbers.
How many digits are on an American Express card?
For example, Visa and Mastercard cards are often 16 digits long, although shorter and longer numbers exist. American Express cards have 15 digits, and Discover cards have 16 digits. Why might card numbers grow longer? The ISO recognized that card numbers may run out unless issuers use more characters.
How do you double A number on a credit card?
Starting with the second digit from the right, double every other number. If a resulting number is two digits, such as 18, you will add the two digits together—in this case, to get 9. Add up all of these numbers. Then add up the digits you skipped when you were doing the doubling.