Updated in 2025: While the migration from 6-digit to 8-digit BINs officially began in April 2022, many merchants and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) are still adapting their systems today. This guide remains highly relevant as the payment industry continues to navigate this significant infrastructure change.
The payment card industry has undergone a fundamental change with the expansion of Bank Identification Numbers (BINs) from six to eight digits. From April 2022, Visa and Mastercard mandated the extension of BIN on payment cards from six to eight digits, marking one of the most significant technical shifts in modern payment processing.
What Are BINs and Why Do They Matter?
Bank Identification Numbers are the first six to eight digits of a payment card number that identify the issuing bank or financial institution. These numbers are crucial for:
- Transaction routing: Ensuring payments reach the correct processor
- Card type identification: Distinguishing between credit, debit, and prepaid cards
- Risk assessment: Helping merchants evaluate transaction risk
- Compliance: Meeting various regulatory and network requirements
The Migration: From Six to Eight Digits
The expansion from 6-digit to 8-digit BINs was driven by the rapid growth of the payment card industry and the need for more unique identifiers. As of April 2022, the BIN capacity expanded from 100,000 to 10 million identifiers, significantly expanding the available range of identifiers.
Key Changes:
- Expanded capacity: The change increased available BIN ranges from 100,000 to 10 million (This doesn’t change the total length of card numbers, which typically remain 16 digits.)
- Backward compatibility: The first six digits remain the same in this change
- No new cards required: Existing cards continue to function normally
- Gradual rollout: Both six and eight-digit BINs exist, with card brands assigning only eight-digit BINs after April 2022
Impact on Merchants and PSPs
Technical Implications
The migration has affected various aspects of payment processing:
System Updates: Payment systems, databases, and applications needed updates to accommodate the longer BIN format. If you have processing tasks based on BINs, it is recommended to check their compatibility with the new 8-digit format.
Data Storage: Merchants storing BIN data required database schema updates to handle the additional digits.
Integration Challenges: APIs and data feeds needed modification to support both 6-digit and 8-digit formats during the transition period.
PCI DSS Compliance Considerations
The migration has created unique challenges for PCI DSS compliance. The PCI DSS only allows organizations to reveal the first six and last four PAN digits, which includes the BIN. Shifting from a six-digit to an eight-digit BIN standard raises numerous questions on PCI DSS implications.
Organizations must navigate the complexity of:
- Maintaining PCI DSS compliance while accessing full BIN ranges
- Balancing security requirements with operational needs
- Choosing between getting access to the full BIN range and being PCI DSS compliant
Implementation Challenges and Solutions
Many merchants have experienced various challenges during the migration:
Common Issues:
- Legacy System Compatibility: Older payment systems may not support 8-digit BINs
- Data Validation: Systems rejecting valid 8-digit BINs due to outdated validation rules
- Reporting Discrepancies: Mismatched data between systems using different BIN formats
Best Practices:
- Dual Format Support: Implement systems that can handle both 6-digit and 8-digit BINs
- Comprehensive Testing: Test all payment flows with both BIN formats
- Stakeholder Communication: Coordinate with all payment partners and vendors
- Monitoring: Implement robust monitoring to detect BIN-related issues
Why This Still Matters in 2025
Despite the migration beginning over three years ago, the 8-digit BIN transition remains critically important for several reasons:
1. Ongoing System Migrations
Many merchants and PSPs are still in the process of updating legacy systems. Complete migration across all payment infrastructure takes time, and some organizations are still catching up with the requirements.
2. Misrouted Transactions
Missing out on the deadline results in misrouted transactions and payment processing errors on the merchant’s payment system. This continues to be a real issue for merchants who haven’t fully adapted their systems.
3. PCI DSS Compliance Gaps
The compliance implications of 8-digit BINs continue to evolve. Organizations are still working through the complexities of maintaining PCI DSS compliance while leveraging the full BIN range for business operations.
4. Integration Challenges with New Partners
As merchants onboard new payment processors, acquirers, or technology partners, they must ensure all systems are compatible with 8-digit BINs. This is particularly relevant for rapidly growing e-commerce businesses.
5. Emerging Use Cases
New payment technologies and business models continue to emerge that rely on accurate BIN identification. From fraud prevention to dynamic routing, the importance of proper BIN handling has only increased.
Moving Forward
The 8-digit BIN migration is more than a technical update—it’s a foundational change in payment infrastructure that continues to shape how transactions are processed, routed, and secured. As new technologies like digital wallets, buy-now-pay-later services, and embedded finance grow, robust BIN management is essential.
For merchants still adapting to the 8-digit BIN standard, Justt helps uncover hidden processing issues and reduce chargeback exposure—automating dispute resolution at scale.
Get in touch and see how we can help.
This post was originally published in March 2022 and updated in 2025 to reflect the current state of the 8-digit BIN migration and its ongoing relevance to the payments industry.
