--- title: "BIN Profiles" description: "A non-technical overview of BIN Profiles in RevCent, focused on how BIN 6 lists support Payment Profile routing decisions, including routing matching cards to a gateway path or denying payment altogether, and how historical transaction outcomes can help plan BIN Profiles." type: "feature" company: "RevCent" canonical: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/ecosystem/feature/BINProfile.md" relationships: - name: "Payment Profile" url: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/ecosystem/feature/PaymentProfile.md" - name: "Customer Card" url: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/ecosystem/item/CustomerCard.md" - name: "Transaction" url: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/ecosystem/item/Transaction.md" technical_links: web_app: "https://kb.revcent.com/en/payments/credit-card/bin-profile" api: section: "https://revcent.com/docs/api/v2#section-bin_profiles" operations: - name: "Get BIN Profiles" operation_id: "GetBinProfiles" operation: "https://revcent.com/docs/api/v2#operation-GetBinProfiles" schema: "https://revcent.com/documentation/files/api/operation/GetBinProfiles.json" - name: "Create A BIN Profile" operation_id: "CreateBinProfile" operation: "https://revcent.com/docs/api/v2#operation-CreateBinProfile" schema: "https://revcent.com/documentation/files/api/operation/CreateBinProfile.json" - name: "Get A BIN Profile" operation_id: "GetBinProfile" operation: "https://revcent.com/docs/api/v2#operation-GetBinProfile" schema: "https://revcent.com/documentation/files/api/operation/GetBinProfile.json" - name: "Edit A BIN Profile" operation_id: "EditBinProfile" operation: "https://revcent.com/docs/api/v2#operation-EditBinProfile" schema: "https://revcent.com/documentation/files/api/operation/EditBinProfile.json" - name: "Delete A BIN Profile" operation_id: "DeleteBinProfile" operation: "https://revcent.com/docs/api/v2#operation-DeleteBinProfile" schema: "https://revcent.com/documentation/files/api/operation/DeleteBinProfile.json" mcp: overview: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/OverviewBinProfile.md" operations: - name: "Get BIN Profiles" operation_id: "GetBinProfiles" markdown: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/GetBinProfiles.md" available_via_ai: true - name: "Create A BIN Profile" operation_id: "CreateBinProfile" markdown: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/CreateBinProfile.md" available_via_ai: true - name: "Get A BIN Profile" operation_id: "GetBinProfile" markdown: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/GetBinProfile.md" available_via_ai: true - name: "Edit A BIN Profile" operation_id: "EditBinProfile" markdown: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/EditBinProfile.md" available_via_ai: true - name: "Delete A BIN Profile" operation_id: "DeleteBinProfile" markdown: "https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/mcp/operation/DeleteBinProfile.md" available_via_ai: true --- # BIN Profiles BIN Profiles are a RevCent payment feature for organizing lists of card BIN values. A BIN is the beginning portion of a payment card number used to identify the issuing bank or institution. In this document, BIN Profiles are described using BIN 6 values, meaning the first six digits of a customer card. A BIN Profile does not charge, approve, decline, retry, route, or deny a payment by itself. It is a reusable configuration that becomes operational only when another payment feature uses it. The practical idea is: ```text BIN Profile = named list of BIN 6 values ``` A Payment Profile can then reference that list when deciding how matching cards should be handled. --- ## Core Purpose BIN Profiles help a business organize known groups of card issuers or card number ranges. They are useful when a business has learned that certain card BINs need special handling. For example, a merchant may discover that a group of BINs performs better on one gateway path than another, or that certain BINs should be denied before any payment attempt is sent to a gateway. The BIN Profile creates the reusable list. A Payment Profile determines what happens with that list, such as routing matching BINs to a specific Gateway or Gateway Group path, or denying the payment altogether. --- ## Where BIN Profiles Fit in RevCent BIN Profiles sit inside the credit card payment strategy layer of RevCent. They are connected to: ```text Customer Card ↓ BIN 6 value ↓ BIN Profile matching ↓ Payment Profile routing decision ↓ Route to Gateway/Gateway Group path or deny payment ↓ Transaction processing result, if processing continues ``` A Customer Card supplies the card BIN context. A BIN Profile stores the values the merchant wants to recognize. A Payment Profile can use that match to decide whether to route the payment to a specific Gateway or Gateway Group path, continue through another route, or deny the payment. A Transaction is created only when the payment flow continues into an actual payment attempt. --- ## Relationship to Payment Profiles Payment Profiles are where BIN Profiles usually become operational. A Payment Profile is a payment-routing flow. It can evaluate payment details and decide which path to take. When BIN-based logic is used, the Payment Profile can compare the customer card BIN against a BIN Profile and route the payment accordingly. Example concept: ```text Payment starts ↓ Check card BIN against BIN Profile ↓ If BIN matches, follow one routing path ↓ If BIN does not match, follow another routing path ``` This is Payment Profile logic that can directly affect payment outcomes. It should only be used when the business has a clear reason for BIN-based routing or denial. A BIN Profile by itself does not alter a Payment Profile. It must be intentionally referenced by the Payment Profile routing or denial configuration. --- ## Routing or Denial in Payment Profiles BIN Profiles are mainly used by Payment Profiles to make BIN-based routing decisions. A Payment Profile can use a BIN Profile match to decide whether a payment should be routed to a particular Gateway or Gateway Group path, or whether the payment should be denied altogether. Example routing concept: ```text If the card BIN matches this profile: route to Gateway Path A If it does not match: continue normal Payment Profile routing ``` Example denial concept: ```text If the card BIN matches this profile: deny payment and stop the payment flow If it does not match: continue normal Payment Profile routing ``` This can be useful when the business has evidence that a specific issuing institution or BIN range performs differently on a gateway path, or when the business has explicitly decided that a known BIN group should not be accepted. Gateway Groups may often be a safer operational target than a single Gateway when the business wants to route across a group of related gateways, but the exact design depends on the merchant's Payment Profile strategy. --- ## Relationship to Customer Cards Customer Cards are the stored payment-method references associated with customers in RevCent. A BIN Profile relates to Customer Cards because the first six digits of the card are what determine whether the card matches the BIN Profile. This does not mean a BIN Profile stores full card numbers. It should only store BIN-level values needed for matching. Safe BIN examples: ```text 424242 ``` Do not place full card numbers, CVV values, expiration dates, cardholder names, or any other sensitive payment credential data into a BIN Profile. --- ## Relationship to Transactions Transactions are the actual credit card payment attempts processed through merchant gateways. BIN Profiles can influence Transactions indirectly when a Payment Profile uses the BIN Profile to choose a route or deny the payment before processing. A BIN Profile is not the Transaction. It is not the gateway response. It is not the approval or decline. It is a matching list that can help determine which payment path a Transaction follows, or whether the payment flow should stop before a Transaction is created. Conceptually: ```text BIN Profile influences Payment Profile decision ↓ Payment Profile routes to gateway path or denies payment ↓ If routed, gateway path creates a Transaction ↓ Transaction records the actual payment outcome ``` --- ## What BIN Profiles Do BIN Profiles can help a business: - Store a named list of BIN 6 values. - Keep payment strategy lists organized. - Reuse the same BIN set in Payment Profile configurations. - Identify cards that should follow a special routing path or be denied by the Payment Profile. - Support Payment Profile gateway-routing strategies. - Support issuer-specific payment strategies. - Turn historical BIN outcome analysis into a reusable payment-routing list. - Help reduce repeated manual configuration of BIN lists. - Provide a clearer structure for payment operations teams. The important point is that the BIN Profile is the list. The behavior comes from the Payment Profile that references the list. --- ## What BIN Profiles Do Not Do by Themselves Creating a BIN Profile does not automatically: - Process payments. - Approve payments. - Decline payments. - Retry payments. - Deny payments. - Change checkout behavior. - Change gateway selection or route to a Gateway. - Change a Payment Profile. - Change a Customer Card. - Create a Transaction. A BIN Profile only becomes part of the live payment flow when it is connected to Payment Profile routing or denial logic. --- ## Why Ecommerce Businesses Use BIN Profiles Ecommerce businesses may use BIN Profiles when they have enough payment history or operational knowledge to justify BIN-level strategy. Common reasons include: - Certain issuer BINs perform better on a specific gateway path. - Certain card groups are more likely to decline with one payment provider. - A business wants to treat a known group of issuer BINs differently within a Payment Profile. - A business wants a named list for internal review before Payment Profile routing or denial changes are made. - A business wants to reduce failed payments by steering known card groups to a better Gateway or Gateway Group path. - A business needs advanced payment behavior for specific brands, issuers, markets, or risk patterns. BIN Profiles are best used when the BIN list is based on real business knowledge, not speculation. --- ## Using BigQuery to Plan BIN Profiles BIN Profiles do not have their own BigQuery table, so they should not be documented as a BigQuery-backed entity in the header. However, BigQuery can still be very useful when deciding which BIN 6 values should go into a BIN Profile. Historical payment data can show how BINs have performed across Transactions, Gateways, Payment Profiles, campaigns, shops, and customer segments. A business can use BigQuery to answer questions such as: - Which BIN 6 values have the highest approval rate? - Which BIN 6 values have the highest decline rate? - Which BIN 6 values perform better on one Gateway than another? - Which BIN 6 values are associated with more gateway errors or merchant holds? - Which BIN 6 values are involved in salvage, refund, or chargeback patterns? - Which BIN 6 values should be reviewed before adding them to routing logic? The most relevant historical fields usually come from transaction and customer-card data. Transaction history can show outcome information such as approval, decline, error, gateway, Payment Profile, and transaction type. Customer Card data can show stored card BIN context, such as the first six digits and BIN details. A practical workflow is: ```text Historical Transactions in BigQuery ↓ Group outcomes by BIN 6, Gateway, and Payment Profile ↓ Identify BINs with meaningful approval, decline, or risk patterns ↓ Create or update a BIN Profile with the selected BIN 6 values ↓ Use the BIN Profile in Payment Profile routing or denial logic only when intentionally configured ``` This helps prevent guesswork. Instead of creating BIN Profiles from assumptions, the business can use real historical payment outcomes to decide which BIN 6 values deserve special handling. Important: BigQuery helps identify candidate BINs, but it does not make the BIN Profile operational by itself. The BIN Profile still only becomes operational when it is referenced by Payment Profile routing logic. --- ## Creating a BIN Profile Creating a BIN Profile usually requires: - A name. - A description. - A status. - The list of BIN values. - A clear purpose for the profile. Good names describe the intended use: ```text Preferred BIN Routing High Decline BIN Review Gateway A Preferred BINs Issuer Watchlist BINs ``` The description should explain why the profile exists and how it is expected to be used. --- ## Editing a BIN Profile Editing a BIN Profile should be handled carefully. If the BIN Profile is already used in a payment-routing flow, changing the BIN list can change how future payments are routed. Before editing, confirm: - Whether the profile is currently used by a Payment Profile. - Which BIN values should remain. - Which BIN values should be added. - Which BIN values should be removed. - Whether the change should be tested before it affects production payments. The MCP overview notes an important behavior: when editing and providing the BIN array, the submitted array replaces the existing list. It is not treated as a single-BIN append. This means an edit should include every BIN that should remain after the update. --- ## Payment Profile Routing Use Case A business may use a BIN Profile to route matching cards through a preferred Gateway or Gateway Group path inside a Payment Profile. Example: ```text Card BIN matches Preferred BIN Profile ↓ Use Preferred Gateway Group path Card BIN does not match ↓ Continue normal payment routing ``` This can be useful when the business has confirmed that a known set of BINs performs better on a specific gateway path. --- ## Payment Profile Denial Use Case A BIN Profile can be used in a Payment Profile path that denies payment for matching BINs, but this should be treated as high impact. Denying valid cards can directly reduce successful purchases. Do not assume a BIN Profile is intended to deny payments. Denial should only be configured when the business explicitly confirms that matching BINs should not be processed. A safer default assumption is: ```text A BIN Profile is only a reusable BIN list unless the business explicitly connects it to Payment Profile routing or denial behavior. ``` --- ## Review Before Routing or Denial A BIN Profile can also be used as a watchlist. In this case, the business may create a BIN Profile before deciding whether to route, deny, or otherwise handle matching cards differently inside a Payment Profile. Example watchlists: ```text High Decline BINs Gateway Review BINs International Card BINs Issuer Review BINs ``` A watchlist does not need to change payment behavior immediately. It can simply organize the list while the business decides what Payment Profile strategy is appropriate. --- ## Operational Safety BIN-based Payment Profile logic should be used carefully because it can directly affect credit card processing. Incorrect configuration may cause: - Valid cards to be routed to the wrong Gateway or Gateway Group path. - Cards to bypass a gateway that would have approved them. - Cards to be denied unintentionally. - Checkout behavior to change unexpectedly. - Subscription, trial, or recovery payment attempts to route differently than intended. - Higher declines if the BIN logic is based on incomplete information. For this reason, BIN Profiles should be used in Payment Profile routing or denial logic only when the business has a clear strategy. --- ## AI Assistant and MCP Guidance AI Assistants and MCP clients should treat BIN Profiles as reusable BIN lists unless the user explicitly asks to use them in Payment Profile routing or denial behavior. Before creating or changing BIN-based Payment Profile behavior, the AI or MCP client should clarify: - Is the user only storing a BIN list? - Should the BIN Profile affect Payment Profile routing? - What should happen when the BIN matches? - What should happen when the BIN does not match? - Should matching BINs route to a Gateway or Gateway Group? - Should matching BINs be denied altogether? - Does the user understand this can affect live payment processing? AI Assistants cannot create or modify Payment Profiles. They may retrieve Payment Profiles for analysis, troubleshooting, revenue recovery context, or declaring existing routing, but they should not claim to create or edit Payment Profile routing or denial logic. --- ## Sensitive Data Rules BIN Profiles should store only BIN-level values needed for matching. Do not store: - Full card numbers. - CVV values. - Expiration dates. - Cardholder names. - Full magnetic-stripe or chip data. - Any full payment credential. The business must provide the exact BIN values or derive them from trusted account data. AI should not invent BINs. --- ## Common Misunderstandings ### “A BIN Profile routes payments by itself.” No. A BIN Profile is only a list. Routing or denial behavior must come from a Payment Profile that references it. ### “A BIN Profile is the same as a Customer Card.” No. A Customer Card is a stored customer payment-method reference. A BIN Profile is a reusable list of BIN values. ### “A BIN Profile creates Transactions.” No. Transactions are created when payment attempts are processed. BIN Profiles may influence the Payment Profile routing path before the Transaction is created, or they may be used to deny payment before a Transaction is created, but they are not the Transaction itself. ### “BIN Profiles should contain full card numbers.” No. BIN Profiles should contain only BIN-level values, not full payment credentials. ### “Any BIN list should be used for denial.” No. Denying payment is high impact and should only be used when explicitly intended. --- ## Best-Fit Businesses BIN Profiles are best suited for ecommerce businesses that: - Process meaningful credit card volume. - Use multiple gateways or gateway groups. - Have Payment Profile routing needs. - Understand card BIN patterns in their business. - Need issuer-specific or BIN-specific routing strategy. - Want a reusable structure for known BIN groups. - Need careful control over gateway paths for certain card ranges. They are usually unnecessary for a business that only has one simple gateway path and no BIN-specific payment strategy. --- ## Summary BIN Profiles in RevCent are reusable lists of BIN 6 values used to support Payment Profile routing and denial strategies. They help ecommerce businesses organize known card issuer patterns and, when intentionally connected to Payment Profile logic, can influence how matching cards are routed or whether matching payments are denied altogether. Even though BIN Profiles do not have their own BigQuery table, historical BigQuery data can help identify which BIN 6 values should be added to a BIN Profile based on real transaction outcomes. The key concept is: ```text BIN Profile = reusable BIN list Payment Profile routing logic = behavior that uses the list Transaction = actual payment attempt created after routing ``` A BIN Profile should be used carefully, should not contain sensitive payment credentials, and should not be assumed to route or deny payments unless the business explicitly configures that behavior in a Payment Profile. --- Document Parent Directory * [Features](https://revcent.com/documentation/markdown/ecosystem/feature/index.md) - Non-technical markdown documentation for features within the RevCent ecosystem. A feature is a part of the RevCent ecosystem that a user can create and configure.