In payment card terminology, what does PAN stand for?

In payment card terminology, what does PAN stand for?

• A. Personal Access Number
• B. Primary Access Number
• C. Primary Account Number
• D. Payment Account Number

Answer: (C)

The term is Primary Account Number. This is the long number printed on a payment card that uniquely identifies the cardholder’s account across the issuer and the payment network. It’s the number used to route a transaction from the merchant to the issuer for authorization and to settle with the card networks. PAN lengths vary by card brand, commonly 16 digits but sometimes 15 or another length. Because it identifies the account, PAN is considered sensitive data under PCI DSS and should be protected—minimized in exposure, encrypted if stored, and masked when displayed. The other terms listed don’t match the standard terminology used in payment card processing.

The term is Primary Account Number. This is the long number printed on a payment card that uniquely identifies the cardholder’s account across the issuer and the payment network. It’s the number used to route a transaction from the merchant to the issuer for authorization and to settle with the card networks. PAN lengths vary by card brand, commonly 16 digits but sometimes 15 or another length. Because it identifies the account, PAN is considered sensitive data under PCI DSS and should be protected—minimized in exposure, encrypted if stored, and masked when displayed. The other terms listed don’t match the standard terminology used in payment card processing.