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Issuer Identification Number (IIN)

The Issuer Identification Number (IIN), is based upon the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Standard of ISO/IEC 7812-1, Part 1 Identification Cards-Identification of Issuers, Numbering System and ISO/IEC 7812-2, Part 2 Identification Cards – Identification of Issuers – Application and Registration Procedures.

The Standard has been updated, to ISO/IEC 7812-1:2017 and to ISO/IEC 7812-2:2017, and the criteria requirements are outlined in the standard. The Standard specifies the numbering system and the application and registration procedures for Issuer Identification Numbers (IINs). This was established in 1971 from the committee ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 17. The IIN is allocated and used to help ensure that the card issuers can identify unique transactions.

NSAI acts as the Ireland's Sponsoring Authority (SA) as the recognised National Numbering Authority registered with ISO.  NSAI acts as the register for national IINs for organisations based in the Republic of Ireland.  NSAI acts as the SA to process applications from organisations based in the Republic of Ireland for the International IINs through the Registered Authority (RA).  The current RA is the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.

The IIN is the first 8 digits on front of debit cards, credit cards, and other cards. The number is used to identify the card issuers and acquirers to be able to route the transactions appropriately. IINs are used by various organisations such as financial institutions, merchandising and petroleum companies. Figure 1 below provides the breakdown of the Primary Account Number (PAN) including the IIN, Individual Account Number and Check Digit.

Figure 1 below provides the breakdown of the Primary Account Number (PAN) including the IIN, Individual Account Number and Check Digit.

Each card issuer can only be assigned one international (1) IIN (single or blocks) and if needed, one (1) national IIN. The international IIN number is NOT used to identify or differentiate products, service, geographic locations and technologies that are currently offered and may be offered in the future by the organisation. Additional IINs will not be assigned to identify or differentiation between products, services, technologies, branches within an applicant's organisation, or geographic region within a country.

A single IIN or a block of IINs can be allocated to an organisation. There are two types of blockholder IINs, administrative blockholders and scheme blockholders. An administrative blockholder is assigned a block of IINs that belongs to the card issuers, unless the holder has relinquished one of all of them to the RA. A card scheme blockholder represents a group of card issuers and is then assigned to individual organisations, which when one or all are relinquished, is reverted back to the card scheme blockholder.

Purchasing of the Standards can be done through www.standards.ie and searching for:

  • ISO/IEC 7812-1, Part 1 Identification Cards-Identification of Issuers, Numbering System
  • ISO/IEC 7812-2, Part 2 Identification Cards – Identification of Issuers – Application and Registration Procedures

 

Note 1: Due to the update in the standard, licensed individual IINs before 2017 are subject to grandfathering. Therefore it is recommended that card issuers who have been licensed individual IINs before the return unused IINs to the RA.

Note 2: If you are applying for an International IIN from a country that does not have an IIN Registration Authority please contact Pay.UK.  Further details available on www.wearepay.uk 

If you would like to apply for a single or blockholder of international or national IINs, please contact regschemes@nsai.ie or telephone + 353 1 807 3824. The relevant application form to be completed in full and payment will need to be received in order for the application to be reviewed, see the costs below:

  1. National IIN Single – €350 + VAT (one off payment)
     
  2. International IIN Single – €650 +VAT (one off payment)
     
  3. International IIN Blockholder – €650 +VAT (one off payment)
  • International IIN Blockholder – $2,500 Registration Authority fee (one off payment, non-refundable)

To obtain a copy of the ISO Register of Card Issuer Identification Numbers (International), please contact CUSIP Global Services, this register is confidential and available to individuals who have an IIN. The contact information is below:

ISO Registrar
Email: ISO7812RegAuth@cusip.com

Purchasing of the ISO/IEC 9834 1-9 Standards can be done through www.standards.ie and searching for:

  • ISO/IEC 9834-1:2012, Information technology - Procedures for the operation of object identifier registration authorities: General procedures and top arcs of the international object identifier tree
  • ISO/IEC 9834-2:1993, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities - Part 2: Registration procedures for OSI document types
  • ISO/IEC 9834-3:2008, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities: Registration of Object Identifier arcs beneath the top-level arc jointly administered by ISO and ITU-T
  • ISO/IEC 9834-4:1991, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities - Part 4: Register of VTE Profiles
  • ISO/IEC 9834-5:1991, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities - Part 5: Register of VT Control Object Definitions
  • ISO/IEC 9834-6:2005, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities: Registration of application processes and application entities
  • ISO/IEC 9834-7:2008, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities: Joint ISO and ITU-T Registration of International Organizations
  • ISO/IEC 9834-8:2014, Information technology - Procedures for the operation of object identifier registration authorities - Part 8: Generation of universally unique identifiers (UUIDs) and their use in object identifiers
  • ISO/IEC 9834-9:2008, Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Procedures for the operation of OSI Registration Authorities: Registration of object identifier arcs for applications and services using tag-based identification


If you would like to apply for this registration scheme, please contact regschemes@nsai.ie or telephone + 353 1 807 3824.

Purchasing of the ISO/IEC 7816 1-13, 15 Standards can be done through www.standards.ie and searching for::

  • ISO/IEC 7816-1:2011, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 1: Cards with contacts - Physical characteristics
  • ISO/IEC 7816-2:2007, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 2: Cards with contacts - Dimensions and location of the contacts
  • ISO/IEC 7816-3:2006, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 3: Cards with contacts - Electrical interface and transmission protocols
  • ISO/IEC 7816-4:2013/Cor 1:2014, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 4: Organization, security and commands for interchange - Technical Corrigendum 1
  • ISO/IEC 7816-5:2004, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 5: Registration of application providers
  • ISO/IEC 7816-6:2016, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 6: Interindustry data elements for interchange
  • ISO/IEC 7816-7:1999, Identification cards - Integrated circuit(s) cards with contacts - Part 7: Interindustry commands for Structured Card Query Language (SCQL)
  • ISO/IEC 7816-8:2016, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 8: Commands and mechanisms for security operations
  • ISO/IEC 7816-9:2017, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 9: Commands for card management
  • ISO/IEC 7816-10:1999, Identification cards - Integrated circuit(s) cards with contacts - Part 10: Electronic signals and answer to reset for synchronous cards
  • ISO/IEC 7816-11:2022, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 11: Personal verification through biometric methods
  • ISO/IEC 7816-12:2005/Cor 1:2014, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 12: Cards with contacts - USB electrical interface and operating procedures - Technical Corrigendum 1
  • ISO/IEC 7816-13:2007, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 13: Commands for application management in a multi-application environment
  • ISO/IEC 7816-15:2016, Identification cards - Integrated circuit cards - Part 15: Cryptographic information application

If you would like to apply for the registration scheme please contact regschemes@nsai.ie.