glossario

The Primary Account Number - also known as the payment card number - is a sequence of digits that serves as a unique identifier of a card, whether physical or virtual. The sequence is not random: it combines the set of numbers that identify the payment circuit (e.g. Bancomat or VISA), the issuer (the intermediary that issued the card to the cardholder) and the cardholder. The PAN is used to carry out transactions: when payments are made or cash is withdrawn, the POS (Point of Sale) or ATM (Automated Teller Machine) reads the PAN and transmits it to the issuing bank's authorization centre. The bank then conducts validity checks before authorizing the transaction.