Ever wondered what the numbers on your cards indicate? Well you might have written them down at several points, either as reference or as a security measure in case of theft, but did you ever sit down to think what they might mean? Heres the answer.
The first number on your credit card denotes the system of the card. Is it a visa, master, or entertainment card? If the number is 3, it means it could be an American Express or Diners Club card or any other entertainment or travel card. Whereas a card with 4 as the first digit denotes that the card is a Visa card and a 5 means it is a MasterCard. A card that starts with the number 6 means it is a Discover card.
The number on the card also denotes the system of the card. For instance, a Diners Club card starts with 38 while, an American Express card number starts with 37. The third and fourth numbers denote the currency used on the card while the rest of the numbers till the 11th give you the information on account number. The digits from 12 to 14 is the credit card number and the last digit, the 15th is a check digit. This is the configuration in an American Express card.
A Visa and a MasterCard are similar...