What is an IIN?
IIN is an acronym for Issuer Identification Number. It is a key component of the ISO/IEC 7812 Numbering System Standard (It is also part of other standards-based systems like ANSI, and ICS). The ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. They develop and publish International Standards for a variety of industries and purposes ranging from quality management to testing and calibration in scientific laboratories, to numbering systems. They only develop and publish; certification to the Standards they write is done by a wide variety of organizations specializing in compliance to the Standards. Each Standard has an assigned number; Within the body of ISO Standards, IIN is Standard 7812 (7812-1:2107and7812-2:2107).
You are probably already familiar with standardization in numbering systems. An IIN is similar to other standardized blocks of numbers used as unique identifiers such as:
Dewey Decimal System for libraries -- books on the same topic have the same leading numbers
Phone number area codes and exchanges -- 3-digit numbers tied to a particular geographic region
U.S. ZIP Codes -- Zip Codes go in ascending order from east to west
Leading digits on credit cards specific to each credit card company (e.g. Visa cards always start with 4 and Mastercard cards always start with 5).
The full number on a card (credit or gift/stored value) is known as a PAN (primary account number). The PAN for all types of cards is broken down into a few major components:
IIN - a number that identifies the card issuer (for banks, this is called a BIN)
Account Number - a number assigned by the card issuer to each account holder
Checksum/check digit - a digit calculated on all the preceding digits of the PAN and computed according to a particular formula
All IINs are registered with a single organization known as the ISO/IEC 7812 Registration Authority (the American Bankers Association currently serves as the Registration Authority). American Bankers Association keeps the official record of all IIN assignments, and issues new IIN assignments. Much like there are registration organizations to ensure a URL is registered only to one person or organization, American Bankers Association ensures each IIN is registered/assigned to only to one organization.
The purpose of the numbering system is to uniquely identify a card-issuing institution in either an international interchange or closed environment. IINs make advanced security measures more feasible.
Do we need our own IIN?
Some gift card providers "lend" an IIN that they have registered. One concern with using a "borrowed" IIN is that they don't necessarily reserve a unique IIN block per merchant that they serve. When you go this route, your cards might have the same leading digits as cards from another restaurant or store -- the leading digits won't be unique to your organization.
Enhanced security protocols that rely on a unique IIN per merchant can't effectively be used with shared IINs. Another concern is that if you use multiple third-party card issuers, the leading digits on your cards will vary based on the vendor who issued the cards; there won't be consistency/standardization to your card numbering.
When you have your own IIN block, you can keep it no matter who issues your cards; all your cards will always have the same leading digits. One advantage to having cards with all the same IIN is that you can drop the leading digits when you store the card numbers in a database (your own, or a partner's). Dropping the leading digits provides better security (full numbers stored and thus not available should database(s) be breached), truncated account numbers use less data toward your allotment and allow for faster processing/transaction time.
For these reasons, we recommend each merchant apply for their own IIN via the ISO/IEC 7812 Registration Authority.
Providing an IIN to Paytronix
During the launch process, your Solution Consultant will ask you for your IIN. Here are a few typical IIN scenarios:
If you already have registered an IIN, great, you're all set - you'll just need to provide it to your Solution Consultant, and Paytronix Cards Support.
If you haven't registered an IIN, and have never issued gift/stored value cards, we recommend you register an IIN before proceeding (See the How do I get one? section below). Once you receive your IIN assignment, you'll need to provide it to your Solution Consultant, and Paytronix Cards Support.
If you have issued gift cards via a third-party card issuer who lent you their IIN, you will need to provide a list of all IINs and their parameters for any cards that are still active. You may need to contact third-party issuers to obtain this list.
Note: Paytronix can migrate card information from previous providers, but no new cards can be generated using the "borrowed" IINs. If you plan to continue your gift card program, you will need to register your own IIN before you are able to order new cards.
How do I get one?
You can apply for an IIN via ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
Information about applying for an IIN:
https://www.ansi.org/other_services/registration_programs/IIN
ANSI's IIN application form:
https://share.ansi.org/shared%20documents/Other%20Services/Registration%20Programs/IIN-registration.pdf
There is a $2,500 cost associated with applying for an IIN and typically takes 5 business days to get an assignment once the application is complete and fee is received. This cost is not included in your contract with Paytronix. Your organization will need to apply for an IIN; Paytronix cannot apply for you.