BIN (Bank Identification Number)
Definition
A BIN (Bank Identification Number) is the first six digits of a payment card number, extended to eight under newer card scheme rules. It identifies the issuing bank, the card scheme, the card type, and in Turkey the card program family such as Bonus, World, or Maximum. Online stores read the BIN at checkout to decide which installment options and prices to show before the customer finishes typing.
Why it matters for your store
In Turkey the BIN is what makes installments work. Installment counts and commission rates are set per card program family, and the family is known only from the BIN. A checkout that shows a generic installment table is either wrong for most cards or hiding options the customer could have used.
The BIN also drives routing. If you have more than one virtual POS, the cheapest place to process a card is usually the bank that issued it. Matching the BIN to your own bank's program keeps commission down without the customer noticing anything.
Finally, the BIN is a fraud signal. A card issued in one country used with a phone number and address from another is worth a second look.
How Kambloo handles it
As soon as the first six digits are entered at checkout, Kambloo calls the gateway's installment lookup with the BIN and the cart amount. The response, including the commission rates, is cached for one hour under a key made of the BIN, the amount, and the gateway, so a customer who edits the cart and returns does not wait again.
For direct bank POS connections, Kambloo resolves the BIN to a card family using a locally maintained BIN table, updated by the platform, plus the bank's own lookup service where one exists. The family is then matched against the installment matrix you entered for that bank.
When several bank POS connections are active, the card is routed to the bank whose program matches its family. If there is no match, your default POS is used.
Questions about BIN (Bank Identification Number)
Is reading the BIN a security risk?
No. The BIN identifies the issuer, not the cardholder. It is the same information printed on the card and is not enough to make a payment. Stores read it inside the provider's card form or from the provider's lookup service.
Why do installment options appear only after I type part of the card number?
The store needs the BIN to know the card family. Installment counts and rates differ between families, so the table cannot be shown until the first six digits are known.