How Does Credit Card Generator Work?
Credit cards are generated by issuer institutions, such as banks, using a specific algorithm called Luhn's algorithm, also known as the modulus 10 algorithm. We use this algorithm to generate unique credit card numbers and to validate the legitimacy of the card on our website.
Luhn's algorithm generates a series of digits based on the following information:
- Issuer Identification Number (IIN)
- Customer account identification number
- Check digit for the algorithm.
The first 6 digits of the credit card represent the institution that issued the credit card. Using these digits, we can identify whether the card is an American Express, Visa, Mastercard, etc. These digits are also called BIN numbers.
The next series of digits, up to the 15th digit, represent the cardholder's account number.
The final digit is known as the check digit. It is a special number used in Luhn's algorithm, which ensures the entered credit card is correct and not a typo.
Credit card numbers are not completely random. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns a series of numbers to each card issuer. Here are the popular credit card providers and their BIN numbers.
By following all these guidelines of Luhn's algorithm, we can generate valid credit cards which can be used for testing purpose and we can use the same to validate credit card as well. Using real credit cards for payments testing might not be a good idea. But using our credit card generator, no money will be deducted but you still be able to test.
Major Industry Identifier (MII):
Another essential piece of information we can derive from the credit card is the type of industry that issued the credit card. This is the first digit on your credit card. Here is the list of MII digits and their corresponding services:
| MII Digit Value | Category of Issuer |
|---|
| 0 | ISO/TC 68 and other industry assignments |
| 1 | Airlines |
| 2 | Airlines and related industry assignments |
| 3 | Travel and Entertainment |
| 4 | Banking and Financial |
| 5 | Banking and Financial |
| 6 | Merchandizing and Banking |
| 7 | Petroleum |
| 8 | Telecommunications and other industry assignments |
| 9 | National assignment |
