Credit Card Check Digit Validation

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Credit Card Validation - Check Digits

This document outlines procedures and algorithms for Verifying the accuracy and validity of credit card
numbers. Most credit card numbers are encoded with a "Check Digit". A check digit is a digit added to a number
(either at the end or the beginning) that validates the authenticity of the number. A simple algorithm is applied to
the other digits of the number which yields the check digit. By running the algorithm, and comparing the check
digit you get from the algorithm with the check digit encoded with the credit card number, you can verify that
you have correctly read all of the digits and that they make a valid combination.
Possible uses for this information:
When a user has keyed in a credit card number (or scanned it) and you want to validate it before sending it
our for debit authorization.
When issuing cards, say an affinity card, you might want to add a check digit using the MOD 10 method.
1.Prefix, Length, and Check Digit Criteria

Here is a table outlining the major credit cards that you might want to validate.
Check digit
CARD TYPE Prefix Length algorithm
MASTERCARD 51-55 16 mod 10
VISA 4 13, 16 mod 10
34
AMEX 15 mod 10
37
300-305
Diners Club/
36 14 mod 10
Carte Blanche
38
Discover 6011 16 mod 10
2014
enRoute 15 any
2149
JCB 3 16 mod 10
2131
JCB 15 mod 10
1800
2. LUHN Formula (Mod 10) for Validation of Primary Account

Number
The following steps are required to validate the primary account number:
Step 1: Double the value of alternate digits of the primary account number beginning with the second digit from
the right (the first right--hand digit is the check digit.)
Step 2: Add the individual digits comprising the products obtained in Step
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Step 3: The total obtained in Step 2 must be a number ending in zero (30, 40, 50, etc.) for the account number to
be validated.
For example, to validate the primary account number 49927398716:
Step 1:
4 9 9 2 7 3 9 8 7 1 6
x2 x2 x2 x2 x2
------------------------------
18 4 6 16 2
Step 2: 4 +(1+8)+ 9 + (4) + 7 + (6) + 9 +(1+6) + 7 + (2) + 6
Step 3: Sum = 70 : Card number is validated
Note: Card is valid because the 70/10 yields no remainder.
The great folks at ICVERIFY are the original source of this data, I only formatted it in HTML.
If you are in the market, I wrote a set of FoxPro modules for Windows/Dos that interface nicely with ICVERIFY
in a multi-user LAN setup. You just set up ICVERIFY on a single station, and all stations on the LAN can
authorize credit cards with a single FOXBASE function call. Of course, you have to license ICVERIFY by the
node, but it is very reasonable. I also wrote a couple of simple functions to perform pre-authorization, card
screening, etc.
Here is a Microsoft Excel worksheet that will validate a number for you (useful for understanding the algorithm,
it is in a .ZIP compressed format)
Horace Vallas made a NeoWebScript (Tcl really) procedure that implements it.
Check it out at https://enterprise.neosoft.com/secureforms/hav/
Because I get at least a letter a week regarding this routine, here are some additional helpful notes:
Make sure that you:
1. have started with the rightmost digit (including the check digit) (figure odd and even based upon the
rightmost digit being odd, regardless of the length of the Credit Card.) ALWAYS work right to left.
2. the check digit counts as digit #1 (assuming that the rightmost digit is the check digit) and is not doubled
3. double every second digit (starting with digit # 2 from the right)
4. remember that when you double a number over 4, (6 for example) you don't add the result to your total,
but rather the sum of the digits of the result (in the above example 6*2=12 so you would add 1+2 to your
total (not 12).
5. always include the Visa or M/C/ prefix.
E-Mail me at: [email protected]

Also, visit my home page or my POS page.
Last revised: 2/25/97

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http://www.beachnet.com/~hstiles/cardtype.

html Go JUL SEP OCT 👤 ⍰❎

Credit Card Validation - Check Digits

Possible uses for this information:

1.Prefix, Length, and Check Digit Criteria

2. LUHN Formula (Mod 10) for Validation of Primary Account

For example, to validate the primary account number 49927398716:

Step 2: 4 +(1+8)+ 9 + (4) + 7 + (6) + 9 +(1+6) + 7 + (2) + 6

Step 3: Sum = 70 : Card number is validated

Note: Card is valid because the 70/10 yields no remainder.

Make sure that you:

E-Mail me at: [email protected]

Last revised: 2/25/97

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