All Cameroon BIN Codes / IIN Codes List 2023

July 27, 2023 - Reading time: 17 minutes

The banking sector in Cameroon is the largest in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), accounting for about half of the global financial assets. The sector is regulated by the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC), which is housed in the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) in Yaoundé.

There are 15 commercial banks operating in Cameroon, of which six are foreign-owned. The largest banks are Afriland First Bank, BICEC, and BGFI Bank. The banking sector is dominated by large banks, which hold the majority of deposits and assets.

The banking sector has been relatively stable in recent years, with no major financial crises. However, there are some challenges facing the sector, including:

• Low levels of financial inclusion: Only about 15% of Cameroonians have a bank account.
• Lack of access to credit: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have difficulty accessing credit from banks.
• High-interest rates: Interest rates in Cameroon are relatively high, which makes it expensive for businesses to borrow money.

The government is working to address these challenges, and there is some progress being made. For example, the government has launched a financial inclusion program to increase the number of people with bank accounts. The government is also working to improve the lending environment for SMEs.

Overall, the banking sector in Cameroon is a relatively stable and well-regulated sector. However, there are some challenges that need to be addressed in order to improve financial inclusion and access to credit.

Here are some of the types of banks in Cameroon:

• Commercial banks: These banks offer a wide range of financial products and services, including savings accounts, checking accounts, loans, and investment products.
• Development banks: These banks provide loans to businesses and other organizations that are working to promote economic development.
• Microfinance institutions (MFIs): These institutions provide small loans to low-income individuals and businesses.
• Islamic banks: These banks offer financial products and services that are compliant with Islamic law.

The banking sector in Cameroon is an important part of the country's economy. It provides businesses and individuals with access to financial services, which can help to promote economic growth. The government is working to improve the banking sector, and there is some progress being made. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed.

What are BIN codes?

BIN codes, also known as issuer identification numbers (IINs), are the first six to eight digits of a credit or debit card number. They are used to identify the issuing bank or financial institution that issued the card. The first digit of the BIN code identifies the major industry identifier (MII), which indicates the type of card. For example, a 1 in the first digit indicates a credit card, while a 4 indicates a debit card. The next five or seven digits of the BIN code identify the issuing bank or financial institution.

BIN codes are used for a variety of purposes, including:

• Fraud prevention: BIN codes can be used to identify fraudulent transactions. For example, if a merchant receives a transaction from a card with a BIN code that is not assigned to a legitimate bank, the merchant can be alerted to the potential fraud.
• Transaction routing: BIN codes can be used to route transactions to the correct processing network. For example, a transaction with a BIN code that is assigned to Visa will be routed to the Visa processing network.
• Market research: BIN codes can be used to track the usage of different types of cards by different demographics. For example, a merchant can use BIN codes to track the number of credit cards that are used by young adults.

BIN codes are a valuable tool for businesses and organizations that process payments. They can help to prevent fraud, route transactions to the correct processing network, and track the usage of different types of cards.

Here are some examples of BIN codes for different types of cards:

• Visa: 4
• MasterCard: 5
• American Express: 34 or 37
• Discover: 6011 or 65
• JCB: 35

All Cameroon BIN Codes / IIN Codes List 2023

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