INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC

STANDARD 4909

First edition
2006-07-01

Identification cards — Financial

transaction cards — Magnetic stripe data
content for track 3
Cartes d'identification — Cartes de transactions financières — Contenu
des données de plage magnétique pour la piste 3

iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW

(standards.iteh.ai)
ISO/IEC 4909:2006
https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/sist/223f0c62-ba8d-4737-a12c-
ca70df61f7b7/iso-iec-4909-2006

Reference number
ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

© ISO/IEC 2006
ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

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© ISO/IEC 2006
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
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 ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

Contents Page

Foreword............................................................................................................................................................ iv
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ v
1 Scope ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
2 Normative references ........................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions........................................................................................................................... 1
4 Physical characteristics of the card ................................................................................................... 2
5 Location and dimensions of embossed data..................................................................................... 2
6 Physical and performance characteristics of the magnetic material.............................................. 2
6.1 Physical characteristics ....................................................................................................................... 2
6.2 Performance characteristics ............................................................................................................... 2
7 Encoding specifications ...................................................................................................................... 2
8 Data content of track 3 ......................................................................................................................... 3
8.1 Field 1: start sentinel ............................................................................................................................ 5
8.2 Field 2: format code.............................................................................................................................. 5
8.3
iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW
Field 3: primary account number (PAN) ............................................................................................. 5
8.4 Field 4: field separator (FS) ................................................................................................................. 5
(standards.iteh.ai)
8.5 Field 5: country code............................................................................................................................ 5
8.6 Field 6: currency ................................................................................................................................... 5
8.7 ISO/IEC 4909:2006
Field 7: currency exponent .................................................................................................................. 6
8.8 https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/sist/223f0c62-ba8d-4737-a12c-
Field 8: amount authorized per cycle period ..................................................................................... 6
8.9 Field 9: amount remaining this ca70df61f7b7/iso-iec-4909-2006
cycle.................................................................................................. 6
8.10 Field 10: cycle begin............................................................................................................................. 6
8.11 Field 11: cycle length............................................................................................................................ 7
8.12 Field 12: retry count.............................................................................................................................. 7
8.13 Field 13: personal identification number control parameters (PINPARM)...................................... 8
8.14 Field 14: interchange control............................................................................................................... 8
8.15 Field 15: type of account (TA) and service restriction (SR) – PAN.................................................. 9
8.16 Field 16: type of account and service restrictions - SAN-1 .............................................................. 9
8.17 Field 17: type of account and service restrictions – SAN-2 ............................................................. 9
8.18 Field 18: expiry date ........................................................................................................................... 10
8.19 Field 19: card sequence number....................................................................................................... 10
8.20 Field 20: card security number.......................................................................................................... 10
8.21 Field 21: first subsidiary account number (SAN-1) ......................................................................... 10
8.22 Field 22: field separator ..................................................................................................................... 11
8.23 Field 23: second subsidiary account number (SAN-2) ................................................................... 11
8.24 Field 24: field separator ..................................................................................................................... 11
8.25 Field 25: relay marker ......................................................................................................................... 11
8.26 Field 26: crypto check digits (CCD) .................................................................................................. 11
8.27 Field 27: additional data ..................................................................................................................... 12
8.27.1 Field 27.1: transaction date ............................................................................................................... 12
8.27.2 Field 27.2: additional verification value(s) ....................................................................................... 12
8.27.3 Field 27.3: alternative card sequence number................................................................................. 12
8.27.4 Field 27.4: international network identification code...................................................................... 13
8.27.5 Field 27.5: discretionary data ............................................................................................................ 13
8.28 Field 28: end sentinel ......................................................................................................................... 13
8.29 Field 29: longitudinal redundancy check (LRC) .............................................................................. 13
Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 14

© ISO/IEC 2006 – All rights reserved iii

ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO/IEC 4909 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 17, Cards and personal identification.
iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW
This first edition of ISO/IEC 4909 cancels(standards.iteh.ai)
and replaces the third edition of ISO 4909:2000, which has been
technically revised.
ISO/IEC 4909:2006
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iv © ISO/IEC 2006 – All rights reserved

 ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

Introduction
This International Standard recognizes the need for formats of track 3 which can be used independently of, or
in conjunction with, track 2 as defined in ISO/IEC 7813. This approach is intended to permit the greatest
degree of flexibility within the financial community in facilitating international interchange.

Using track 3 in conjunction with track 2 is a mode of operation in both on-line and off-line interchange
environments. This mode of operation requires that the original encoded data on track 2 be read; the data on
track 3 be read; and, if update is required, all the data on track 3 be rewritten.

Independent use of track 3 is an alternative mode of operation permitting both on-line interchange and off-line
interchange based on mutual agreement between interested parties. It requires reading only of the data on
track 3 and, if update is required, the rewriting of all the data on track 3.

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© ISO/IEC 2006 – All rights reserved v

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

Identification cards — Financial transaction cards — Magnetic

stripe data content for track 3

1 Scope
This International Standard establishes specifications for financial transaction cards using track 3 and is
intended to permit interchange based on the use of magnetic stripe encoded information. It specifies the data
content and physical location of read/write information on track 3 and is to be used in conjunction with the
relevant parts of ISO/IEC 7811 and ISO/IEC 7812.

2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW
ISO 4217, Codes for the representation of currencies and funds
(standards.iteh.ai)
ISO/IEC 7810, Identification cards — Physical characteristics
ISO/IEC 4909:2006
ISO/IEC 7811 (all parts), Identification cards — Recording technique
https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/sist/223f0c62-ba8d-4737-a12c-
ca70df61f7b7/iso-iec-4909-2006
ISO/IEC 7812 (all parts), Identification cards — Identification of issuers

ISO 9564-2: Banking — Personal Identification Number management and security — Part 2: Approved
algorithms for PIN encipherment

3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

3.1
card
financial transaction card generally used to identify parties to a financial transaction, and to provide input data
for a transaction

3.2
check digit
check digit character as described in ISO/IEC 7812

3.3
cycle period
fixed or predetermined period of time qualifying the validity of certain transactions

3.4
issuer identification number
IIN
major industry identifier and issuer identifier as described in ISO/IEC 7812

© ISO/IEC 2006 – All rights reserved 1

ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

3.5
individual account identification
individual account identification as described in ISO/IEC 7812

3.6
personal identification number
PIN
code or password that the cardholder possesses for verification of identity

3.7
primary account number
PAN
number containing a maximum of 19 digits which serves to identify the card issuer and the card holder,
consisting of the IIN, the individual account identification provided by the issuer and a check digit derived by
using the Luhn Formula (see ISO/IEC 7812)

3.8
SAN-1
first optional subsidiary account identification held in addition to PAN (see 8.21)

3.9
SAN-2
second optional subsidiary account identification held in addition to PAN and SAN-1 (see 8.23)

4 iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW

Physical characteristics of the card
(standards.iteh.ai)
The card shall conform in all respects to the specifications in ISO/IEC 7810.

ISO/IEC 4909:2006
5 Location and dimensions of embossed data
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ca70df61f7b7/iso-iec-4909-2006
If present, all embossed data on the card shall conform to the specifications in ISO/IEC 7811-1.

6 Physical and performance characteristics of the magnetic material

6.1 Physical characteristics

The physical characteristics and location of the magnetic material shall conform in all respects to the
requirements of ISO/IEC 7811-2 and ISO/IEC 7811-6.

6.2 Performance characteristics

The performance characteristics of the magnetic materials for the card shall conform in all respects to the
specifications contained in ISO/IEC 7811-2 and ISO/IEC 7811-6.

7 Encoding specifications
Encoding specifications shall conform in all respects to the requirements of ISO/IEC 7811-2 and
ISO/IEC 7811-6.

2 © ISO/IEC 2006 – All rights reserved

 ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

8 Data content of track 3

The sequence and length of data fields shall be as shown in Table 1 or 2 with details as follows. The coding
character set shall be 5 bit numeric as defined in ISO/IEC 7811.

Table 1 — Track 3 information layout for format code 01

Field M = Mandatory D = Dynamic F = Fixed Length
No. Content O = Optional S = Static V = Variable
(See NOTE 1)
1 Start sentinel M S F 1
2 Format code M S F 2
3 Primary account number: PAN O S V Max. 19
4 Field separator M S F 1
5 Country code M S F 1
6 Currency M S F 3
7 Currency exponent M S F 1
8 Amount authorized per cycle period M S F 4
9 Amount remaining this cycle M D F 4
10 Cycle begin M D F 4
11 Cycle length M S F 2
12 Retry count M D F 1
13 PINPARM iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW M
See NOTE 3
S F 6

14 Interchange control (standards.iteh.ai) M S F 1

15 Type of account and service restriction (PAN) M S F 2
16 TA and SR (SAN-1) ISO/IEC 4909:2006
M S F 2
17 https://standards.iteh.ai/catalog/standards/sist/223f0c62-ba8d-4737-a12c-
TA and SR (SAN-2) M S F 2
18 Expiry date
ca70df61f7b7/iso-iec-4909-2006
M S F 4
See NOTE 3
19 Card sequence number M S F 1
20 Card security number M D F 9
See NOTE 3
21 SAN -1 O S V See NOTE 2
22 Field separator M S F 1
23 SAN-2 O S V See NOTE 2
24 Field separator M S F 1
25 Relay marker M S F 1
26 CCD M D F 6
See NOTE 3
27 Additional data O D V See NOTE 2
28 End sentinel M S F 1
29 LRC M D F 1
Maximum 107
NOTE 1 Dynamic fields shall be updated as appropriate by interchange partners. Static fields shall be updated by the card issuer
only.
NOTE 2 The total number of characters in track 3 shall not exceed 107.
NOTE 3 If not used, replace by one field separator.

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ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

Table 2 — Track 3 information layout for format code 02

Field M = Mandatory D = Dynamic F = Fixed Length
No. Content O = Optional S = Static V = Variable
(See NOTE 1)
1 Start sentinel M S F 1
2 Format code M S F 2
3 Primary account number: PAN O S V Max 19
4 Field separator M S F 1
5 Country code M S F 1
6 Currency M S F 3
7 Currency exponent M S F 1
8 Amount authorized per cycle period M S F 4
9 Amount remaining this cycle M D F 4
10 Cycle begin M D F 4
11 Cycle length M S F 2
12 Retry count M D F 1
13 PINPARM M S F 6
See NOTE 3
14 Interchange control M S F 1
15 Type of account and service restriction (PAN) M S F 2
16 TA and SR (SAN-1) M S F 2
17 TA and SR (SAN-2) M S F 2
18 Expiry date M S F 4
iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW See NOTE 3
19
20
Card sequence number
Card security number
(standards.iteh.ai) M
M
S
D
F
F
1
9
See NOTE 3
ISO/IEC 4909:2006
21 SAN -1 O S V See NOTE 2
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22 Field separator M S F 1
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23 SAN-2 O S V See NOTE 2
24 Field separator M S F 1
25 Relay marker M S F 1
26 CCD M D F 6
27 Additional data See NOTE 3
27.1 Transaction date M D F 4
See NOTE 3
27.2 Additional verification value M S F 8
See NOTE 3
27.3 Alternative card sequence number O S F 3
See NOTE 4
27.4 International network identification code M S F 3
See NOTE 3
27.5 Discretionary data O D V See NOTE 2
28 End sentinel M S F 1
29 LRC M D F 1
Maximum 107
NOTE 1 Dynamic fields shall be updated as appropriate by interchange partners. Static fields shall be updated by the card issuer
only.
NOTE 2 The total number of characters in track 3 shall not exceed 107.
NOTE 3 If not used, replace by one field separator.
NOTE 4 A field separator in field 19 indicates that this field is present.

4 © ISO/IEC 2006 – All rights reserved

 ISO/IEC 4909:2006(E)

8.1 Field 1: start sentinel

Purpose : To identify the start of data. The start sentinel is the first data character encoded on the track.
Format : One character.
Content : See ISO/IEC 7811-2 and ISO/IEC 7811-6.

8.2 Field 2: format code

Purpose : To identify the data format on track 3.

Format : Two digits.
Content : 00 - Invalid for international interchange.
01 - The layout shall conform to Table 1 of this International Standard.
02 - The layout shall conform to Table 2 of this International Standard.
03-89 – Reserved for future use by ISO.
90-99 - Available for use by individual card issuers but not for international interchange.

8.3 Field 3: primary account number (PAN)

Purpose : iTeh STANDARD PREVIEW

To identify the card issuer to which the transaction is to be routed and to identify the card holder.
Format : As defined in 3.7 of this International Standard, and in ISO/IEC 7812
(standards.iteh.ai)
Content : Issuer identification - 6 digits
Individual account identification – variable
ISO/IEC up to 12 digits.
4909:2006
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Check digit - 1 digit
ca70df61f7b7/iso-iec-4909-2006
In dual track operation, where the PAN is encoded on track 2, the encoding of PAN on track 3 is optional.

8.4 Field 4: field separator (FS)

Purpose : To indicate the end of the PAN, whether PAN is encoded or not.
Format : One character.
Content : See ISO/IEC 7811-2 and ISO/IEC 7811-6.

8.5 Field 5: country code

Purpose : Deprecated. Previously used by ISO 4909:1987 for Country Code.

Format : One-character
Content : FS - See ISO/IEC 7811-2 and ISO/IEC 7811-6.

8.6 Field 6: currency

Purpose : To denote the type of currency to be employed when calculating for update.
Format : Three digits.
Content : Three zeros in the currency field indicate that the card is not available for international
interchange. All other codes shall signify the numeric currency code contained in ISO 4217.

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