However, if a card number does not have the checksum at the end, we can apply a formula on the other digits and compute it manually. In the example above, the credit card number was fully formed i.e., it had a checksum or a ‘check digit’ at the end. In this case, the answer is 80, which means that this number satisfies the Luhn algorithm. If the sum of all these digits is a multiple of 10 i.e., it ends with 0, it will satisfy the Luhn algorithm.ģ + 0 + 2 + 1 + 7 + 3 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 5 + 9 + 9 +4 = 80 The new number, after applying this step, becomes:ģ + 0 + 2 + 1 + 7 + 3 + 4 + 8 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 5 + 9 + 9 +4 Since 12 is more than 9, we add up both the digits: 1 + 2 = 3. If any number becomes more than 9 after being multiplied, add both of its digits together. Starting from the right side of the string, take every alternating digit and multiply it by 2. These are the steps that you need to follow to manually check the validity of any card number against the Luhn algorithm. To understand the working of the algorithm, let’s take a random card number as an example i.e.: You could do it in a couple of minutes using a pen and paper…if you wanted to. It may sound complicated but running the Luhn algorithm on any set of numbers isn’t actually that hard. How to Manually Check the Validity of a Credit Card Number Using the Luhn Algorithm It always starts with a ‘3’ which is followed by a ‘4’ or a ‘7’ĭiscover card numbers can be identified by the following features:.The number layout in Amex cards has these two qualities: Some examples of Mastercard card numbers: Mastercard cards can be identified by these two characteristics: These are some examples of standard Visa card numbers: Visa cards have two distinct features in their card numbers: It is worth noting that other than the card number format, the rest of the details i.e., the expiry date, CVV and accountholder name are all written the same way in all layouts.Ĭoming back to the point, there are four major credit card networks in the world: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. While the general layouts of all the credit card networks are closely similar, there are some minor distinguishing differences. What are the Number Formats of Different Credit Card Networks? This validation is done using the Luhn algorithm. This value is used to verify whether the rest of the numbers are correctly placed. Last Digit: The last digit in any credit card number is called the ‘checksum’ or the ‘check digit’.6 th to Second-to-Last Digit: All the digits, after the 6 th up till the second-to-last one, are generated uniquely for every cardholder.2 nd to 6 th Digits: The 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, 5 th and 6 th digits are used to identify the card issuer e.g., a bank branch. Some card networks use the first 2 digits as their identification as well.įor example, Visa cards always start with a ‘4’ whereas Amex cards always start with a ‘3’ which is immediately followed by either a ‘7’ or a ‘4’.
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