
If you're considering a credit card starting with 4, you're in luck because there are many options to choose from. American Express, Bank of America, and Capital One are just a few examples of banks that issue credit cards starting with 4.
Some credit cards starting with 4 offer rewards programs that can help you earn cash back or points on your purchases. For instance, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases, with no rotating categories or spending limits.
Having a credit card starting with 4 can also provide you with purchase protection and travel benefits. The American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card, for example, offers travel insurance and car rental insurance, which can be a lifesaver when you're on the road.
Visa Card Numbers
The first digit of a Visa card will always be a "4" because that's the number assigned to the Visa card network.

The next five digits, together with the first digit, are the issuer identification number (IIN), which lets you know which bank or credit union issued the card.
Digits 7 through 15 represent your specific credit card account, and these numbers will be different from card to card, even if two cards have the same issuer.
The final digit of your Visa card is unique and designed to protect you from credit card fraud.
Here's a breakdown of what the first four digits of a Visa card can tell you:
For example, a card that starts with 4715 is a Visa card, but you can't tell from those four numbers alone whether it's a prepaid debit card issued by Bank of America, a credit card issued by Chase, or another type of card issued by another bank that issues Visa cards.
Visa Card Prefixes
All Visa cards start with the number 4, which signifies the credit card network and industry.
The first four digits of a Visa card are part of the IIN (Issuer Identification Number) or BIN (Bank Identification Number), and the next five digits tell which credit card company, bank, or credit union issued the card.
Each Visa card has a unique string of numbers, but the first digit can help you identify the payment network.
The next 5 digits indicate the bank that issued the card, while the 7th digit through the second to last is the cardholder's personal account number.
The last digit of each Visa card's number is the checksum/check digit, which verifies the legitimacy of the other digits using the Luhn algorithm.
Here's a breakdown of the first digit of a Visa card:
- The first digit is always the number 4.
- It signifies the credit card network and industry.
- It's a crucial piece of information that helps identify the payment network.
Bank Identification Numbers
Bank Identification Numbers are a crucial part of credit card numbers. They reveal information about the financial institution that issued the card.
The first six digits of a credit card number are known as the Bank Identification Number (BIN). This includes the Major Industry Identifier (MII) and the Issuer Identification Number (IIN). For example, the BIN for a Chase Signature Visa is 414720.
Here are some common examples of Bank Identification Numbers:
- 414720: Chase Signature Visa
- 480011: Bank of America Visa Gold
- 414709: Capital One Signature Visa
- 446542: Wells Fargo Platinum Visa
- 403766: U.S. Bank Visa
Understanding the BIN can help you identify the financial institution that issued the card.
Card Number Patterns
All Visa cards start with the number "4", which is the Major Industry Identifier (MII) that signifies the credit card network and industry.
The first digit is followed by the Issuer Identification Number (IIN) or Bank Identification Number (BIN), which indicates the financial institution that issued the card. This is made up of the next five digits.
Digits 7 through 15 represent your specific credit card account and are unique to each card, even if two cards have the same issuer.
The last digit of your Visa card is a unique number designed to protect you from credit card fraud and serves as a final check for payment processors.
Here's a breakdown of the card number pattern:
Sources
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/first-4-digits-of-visa-2140824527/
- https://privacy.com/blog/how-to-tell-credit-card-type-by-first-4-digits
- https://privacy.com/blog/how-to-identify-credit-card-and-debit-card-by-number
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/credit-cards-starting-with-4-2140646942/
- http://support.worldpay.com/support/CNP-API/content/appendbcredit.htm
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