Okuzeka
Finance & Banking vocabulary · Payments & Cards

PIN

Meaning in finance & banking, with examples

/pɪn/abbreviationCore term

In finance & banking, PIN means: Short for personal identification number: a secret code, usually four to six digits, that proves you are the cardholder when you use a card.

In Turkish: şifre, kart şifresi, PIN

How it is used

Said as one word, 'pin'. Customers enter, change or reset their PIN, and a card is blocked after too many wrong attempts. Banks never ask for a PIN by phone, email or text message, a warning repeated in every fraud awareness campaign.

Example sentences

  1. Please cover the keypad with your hand when you enter your PIN.

  2. Your card has been blocked after three incorrect PIN attempts.

Common collocations

  • enter your PIN
  • change your PIN
  • PIN reset
  • incorrect PIN
  • chip and PIN
  • debit cardA card linked to your bank account that takes money directly from your balance when you pay or use a cash machine.
  • ATMShort for automated teller machine: a machine where customers use a card or phone to withdraw or deposit cash and do other banking without staff.
  • OTPShort for one-time password: a code that is valid for a single login or transaction and only for a short time, usually sent by text message or created in an app.
  • fraudDeceiving someone to get money or another advantage illegally, such as using stolen card details or opening an account with a fake identity.
  • contactless paymentPaying by holding a card, phone or watch near a card reader, without inserting the card or, for small amounts, entering a PIN.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Payments & Cards

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not financial advice.