What a card BIN is and why the issuing country matters
A BIN (Bank Identification Number, also called IIN) is the first 6–8 digits of a card number. It isn't secret and appears on every card. From the BIN, the card network and the merchant learn in a split second who issued the card and where it comes from.
What the BIN tells a merchant
- Card network — Visa or Mastercard.
- Issuing bank and issuing country.
- Card type: debit, credit or prepaid.
- Product tier — for example, a standard or business card.
Why merchants care
Each merchant decides which cards to accept. Some services only work with cards from certain countries, others use the issuing country to set the account region, currency and prices, and others feed the BIN into fraud checks: a payment from a card issued in an “unusual” country gets stricter scrutiny or a decline. That's why the same card can work fine at one service and get declined at another — and it has nothing to do with the balance.
Issuing country and billing address
Many merchants compare the billing address with the card's issuing country. If the card is issued in one country and the address is in another, a decline is more likely. The best rule: enter an address in Latin letters in the card's issuing country. You'll find the country on the card's page in the app.
How to pick a card for the job
- Check which cards the service accepts and whether it has regional pricing or ties accounts to a country.
- Pick a Tegro Card card with the right issuing country and currency — see Which card to choose.
- For services that work best with American cards, use the US card.
- Fill in the billing address for the issuing country and confirm 3D Secure in the app.
No card is guaranteed to work at 100% of merchants — the merchant always decides. If a payment is declined, see why a payment gets declined and tips for foreign stores.
FAQ
Is it unsafe to share a BIN?
No. A BIN is general information about the bank and card type, shared by many cards. What's unsafe is sharing the full number together with the CVC and expiry.
Where can I see my card's issuing country?
On the card's page in the Tegro Card app.
Why does a service accept one of my cards but not another?
Most likely the cards have a different issuing country or type, and the service treats their BINs differently. Try a card from another issuing country and check the billing address.