ID Numbers of Bank Card Issuers Explained

Are secrets buried in account numbers? You would certainly think so based upon how secretive Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are about what some of the numbers in your account mean.

What do the digits on credit cards mean?

The first four digits of a Visa indicate the issuing bank. Every issuing bank has a unique four digit ID.

I asked Visa for a list of all the issuing banks and their corresponding IDs. Visa refused to even discuss the matter. It seems that these IDs are their “stock and trade” so to speak. They don’t release data that would allow someone to figure out exactly how many people are issuing Visas. They feel this information could be used against them in countermarketing situations.

Places where a card is issued or accepted

Visa fought long and hard before they started to advertise how many places around the world honored their cards. Originally, they didn’t want the list of issuing banks known because it would provide a sort of directory to competitors.

ID numbers can potentially reveal a lot about how cards are issued and what you need to complete your collection. You can also learn what banks no longer issue cards due to closings, mergers, etc.

Visa is not the only marketer that is tight-lipped about their numbering. MasterCard responded with the same “non-disclosure” type statements about their numbering schemes.

What does the first digit indicate?

The current convention for the clearance centers seems to be for the first digit of the account number to indicate: 3 – American Express, Diners Club, 4 – Visa, 5 – MasterCard and 6 – Discover. 

Maybe a comprehensive cross-reference could be published in the future? The following is a list of banks and their corresponding IDs:

Visa Credit Cards

4000 International Bank

4121 Home Trust Savings

4019 Bank of America

4128 Citibank

4052 1st Nationwide Bank

4217 First Fidelity Bank

4225 Chase Manhattan Bank

4226 National Community Bank

4262 CoreStates

4278 CitiBank

4301 Monogram Bank

4313 MBNA

4356 NCNB

4384 The Prudential Bank & Trust

4387 MoreCard – 1st Peoples Thrift

4388 Delaware Trust

4408 BankOne

4417 Mellon Bank

4428 Citibank

4460 Michigan Bankcard

4556 Santander International

4673 First Card

4717 Rocky Mountain Bank Card

4821 First Nat. Bank of Oregon

4833 U.S. Nat. Bank of Oregon

4836 First State Bank of Oregon

4950 Corner Banque – Switzerland

4966 Japanese Postal Savings

4970 Carte Bleue – France

4980 Sumitomo Bank – Japan

MasterCards

5106 BancTexas

5123 First Nat. Bank of Palm Beach

5225 First Pennsylvania Bank

5232 Eurocard – Germany

5286 First Card

5273 Bank of America

5279 DC Card – Kinokuniya Bank

5297 First Hawaiian Bank

5301 Nanyang Commercial Bank – China

5329 MBNA

5410 Citibank

5411 Michigan Bankcard

5412 Superior Bank

5413 Eurocard – Switzerland

5415 ExecuCharge

5416 Home Trust Savings

5417 Mellon Bank

5418 Monogram Bank

5419 Bank of Hoven

542A Citibank

5465 Chase Manhattan

5448 Carolina Card/Crestar Bank

5828 Rocky Mountain Bank Card Sys.

Copyright 1989 by Dan Sinisi

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Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

American Credit Card Collectors Society