Visa BIN Attribute Sharing Service (VBASS)
About VBASS
Bank Identification Numbers (BINs) are 6 to 8 digit numbers licensed by Visa to issuers. Each licensed BIN has unique characteristics that Visa refers to as BIN Attributes. These BIN Attributes provide information such as the BIN’s product, issuer, licensed country and more.
The global Visa BIN Attribute Sharing Service (VBASS) is an optional service that can enable sharing of Visa BIN Attributes to improve merchant processes and checkout experiences within the allowed use cases. The service offers two methods to obtain BIN Attribute data: Direct Access from Visa and Indirect Access through an acquirer or acquirer sponsored third party.
Merchants, acquirers, issuers and third parties connect directly to the VBASS APIs on the Visa Developer Center.
Visa has created a suite of APIs to source BIN attributes directly from Visa: (1) Full BIN List API (full issuer BIN data files), (2) Single BIN Lookup API (BIN, account range, PAN, Token lookup) and (3) Issuer API (full acquirer BIN data files).
Receive the BIN Attributes from an acquirer or an acquirer sponsored third party.
Indirect access via acquirer: Acquirer receives BIN Attributes from Visa and sends to merchant.
Indirect access via third party: Acquirer sponsored third party receives BIN Attributes from Visa and sends to merchant.
Indirect — Service enhanced by BIN Attributes: Acquirers or acquirer sponsored third parties receive BIN Attributes from Visa and provide a service solution to merchants. For example, a checkout experience that uses BIN Attributes.
Why participate?
The use of BIN Attributes can support a wide variety of intended uses, including:
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Resources
FAQ
Who can participate in the Visa BIN Attribute Sharing Service (VBASS)?
Acquirers, Issuers, Merchants and Third Parties are eligible to participate. Visa will require Acquirer/or Issuer sponsorship and, in most cases, a business justification.
Where is the service available?
The service is available globally.
How can BIN Attribute data be used?
Common permissible uses include authorization improvement, fraud management, customer service support enhancements, point-of-sale checkout customization, acceptance troubleshooting and more.
What are examples of BIN Attribute data?
BIN Attributes are information such as the Account Funding Source (credit, debit or prepaid), Product Platform (consumer vs. commercial), Issuer country, Issuer Name and more.
Can merchants register for the program?
Merchants can participate in the program, but only through registration by a Sponsor (Acquirer, Issuer) or by a designated entity approved by a Sponsor and Visa (e.g., Processor, Payment Facilitator or other Third Party). Merchants cannot register for the program by themselves.
Why is it important to use authorized BIN tables (e.g. via the VBASS API) and avoid third party BIN databases?
Merchants and third parties may often rely on third party BIN databases to procure BIN data. Visa has found that this practice often can lead to acceptance issues, causing unnecessary declines and impacts to payment operations processes. Visa analyzed the accuracy of a leading third-party BIN database and found that across all analyzed BIN attributes, only 32% of the third-party BIN data was accurate when compared to Visa data. Read the Third Party BIN data one pager.
For a Merchant with more than one Acquirer, what is the recommended registration process?
Any of the Merchant’s Acquirers may register the Merchant for the service.
What BIN Attribute data is available through the Visa API?
There are three access levels of BIN Attributes that vary based on number and type of attributes. For more information please visit the Visa Developer Center.
To participate in the program, is an API required?
No, the API delivery method is optional. An eligible Merchant can work with a Visa approved Acquirer, Processor, or other registered Third Party to obtain the information from them.
How can I ensure I am getting the most up to date Visa BIN Attribute data?
Only the BIN Attribute data provided by Visa via its updated BIN tables and APIs is the most up to date Visa BIN Attribute data available.
How often should BIN Attributes received from the Visa API or BIN tables be updated?
Visa recommends that recipients update their tables daily or weekly, but at a minimum at least every two weeks.
Is there a cost associated with the service?
Yes. Visa requires that all recipients of the BIN Attribute data, whether directly through Visa or through a Sponsor or Sponsor Designate, be registered and billable for the service. Some exceptions do exist. Please contact your Acquirer for more information about pricing.
What if I’m a Processor or other Third Party that wants to share BIN Attributes with Merchants — can I register directly?
Any non-Visa licensed clients will require sponsorship from an Acquirer to pass BIN attributes to Merchants. Please contact your Acquirer for more details.