A Breakdown Of What The Numbers On A Credit Card Mean

When you look a credit card, there is a long string of numbers raised across the front which correspond to your bank and account information. Have you ever wondered what these numbers actually do and how they are used? If so, check out this infographic which breaks down the numbers on a credit card.

When I first saw this, I thought of the movie "Catch Me If You Can" where they do a quick rundown of how the routing numbers on checks work. Essentially, the credit card numbers are the same type thing.

While you most likely don’t have any practical need for this information, it is really neat to understand the mechanics behind what these magic numbers are used for.